Injury Bug Bites Again: 49ers Depleted Heading Into Crucial Stretch

Injury Bug Bites Again: 49ers Depleted Heading Into Crucial Stretch

 

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced the injuries during a conference call late Tuesday night.Christian McCaffrey is out of practice this week with a calf strain. Shanahan said McCaffrey will return to practice next week.Team captains George Kittle and Arik Armstead return to practice this week.

Kittle is doing “much better” with back pain. Armstead “looks good.”We never got the details of Armstead’s injury. Shanahan always called it either the knee or the leg. Kyle still doesn’t want to get hurt when asked if Ari has plantar fasciitis:”I just know it’s his foot and his knee.

I don’t know how to pronounce that word you just said. He’s better. Today he looked good and it was a test and so we will train him on Thursday and hopefully it will go well and we will get some on Friday.Getting the first seed a week early helped Armstead win overtime.

Shanahan said he could have played in Week 18 if the game was meaningful. Here’s Kyle’s response when asked if Armstead’s ongoing playoff injury was a concern:”Oh, yeah, always. That’s why we tried to give him as much rest as possible. He would have gone last week when we needed him So we were really excited to get it so he didn’t have to go last week. So if you give him that extra week, he’s better now than he was a week ago at this point.

 

 

So hopefully we’ll give him enough of that extra week to work on it and make him even better in a week.”The team is “smart” with Dre Greenlaw saying he’s out in Week 18 with Achilles tendinitis.Wide receiver Jauan Jennings is 16 in the concussion protocol this week, Shanahan said Jennings and starting cornerback Ambry Thomas have been officially released and will return to practice.

Thomas had surgery on his hand that caused him to miss Week 18.Edge rusher Clelin Ferrell will miss a few weeks with a knee injury he suffered in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams. Shanahan said, “It’s possible to get him back sometime in the playoffs.” Shanahan later said that Ferrell would miss at least one game.

Shanahan was asked how Drake Jackson is doing and if he’s close to returning from injured reserve, but Shanahan said Jackson isn’t ready:

“I don’t think he’s healthy enough to come out. I don’t think it’s possible right. now.”Starting safeties Tashaun Gipson and Ji’Ayir Brown return to practice this week. Brown sat out the final two games of the regular season with a knee injury, while Gipson sat out four with strains.

The Niners are also opening the practice window for George Odum, who suffered a torn biceps in Week 12 against the Seahawks. Despite missing the season and the last six games, Odum is tied for eighth in the NFL.It is important to understand that just because the 49ers open the window for Odum does not mean he will return. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero originally reported the 2-4 month injury on Nov. 24. The 49ers’ first game would be a few days in two months.Odum is one of the most impressive special teams players in the conference.

Having him back on the field would be a significant addition.And the latest safety news: Tayler Hawkins made his debut in Brown’s absence, but his wrist injury is scheduled for surgery.Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano is day-to-day with a back injury..