The 49ers injury situation forced them to make some tough decisions with their use of the NFL’s short-term IR rules.
Teams are allowed to bring eight players back from IR during the season, and those players are required to sit out four games before being re-activated. Players who went on IR before the final roster was set aren’t eligible to return.
For San Francisco they had so many players go on IR early in the year with hopes of bringing them back that they quickly ran into issues with the eight-player limit.
Two players, DB Jimmie Ward and LB Curtis Robinson, have already returned from IR once this year. Ward began the season there with a hamstring injury. Robinson had a high ankle sprain. CB Jason Verrett was activated off the PUP list, so he did not count toward one of the eight IR returnees.
That leaves six open spots for San Francisco, and four players had their practice windows opened ahead of Week 10. That leaves two players that can return from IR.
Here’s an update look at the team’s IR list with who is returning, who’s eligible to return, and who’s out for the year.
LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Injury: MCL Sprain in Week 3
Eligible to return: Yes
Status: Practice window opened Monday, Nov. 7.
DL Maurice Hurst
Injury: Torn biceps on July 29.
Eligible to return: No
Status: Out for the 2022 season.
DL Javon Kinlaw
Injury: Flare up in surgically repaired knee in Week 4.
Eligible to return: Yes
Status: Out until at least Week 11 per short-term IR rules.
QB Trey Lance
Injury: Fractured fibula, ligament disruption in Week 2.
Eligible to return: Yes
Status: Out for the season.
TE Jordan Matthews
Injury: Torn ACL on August 3.
Eligible to return: No
Status: Out for the season.
OL Colton McKivitz
Injury: MCL Sprain in Week 4
Eligible to return: Yes
Status: Practice window opened Monday, Nov. 7.
RB Elijah Mitchell
Injury: MCL Sprain in Week 1
Eligible to return: Yes
Status: Practice window opened Monday, Nov. 7.
CB Emmanuel Moseley
Injury: Torn ACL in Week 5
Eligible to return: Yes
Status: Out for the season.
DL Jordan Willis
Injury: Knee irritation before Week 1
Eligible to return: Yes
Status: Practice window opened Wednesday, Nov. 9.