Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but the San Francisco 49ers are feeling the lingering effects of multiple injuries at several positions.
This past Sunday, players like Matt Hennessy, Connor Colby,
Nick Zakelj, Curtis Robinson, Trevis Gipson, and Robert Beal were all playing multiple series, if not starter-level snaps. That wasn’t the plan for the Niners two months ago.
According to Kyle Shanahan, injuries across the board have forced the team to play roster gymnastics all season:
“What happens when you have seven injured guys who aren’t on IR not playing, or six, I think it was last week. So, hopefully you get some of those back and if you don’t, you’ve got to figure out how to get them up or will cost someone else’s job. That’s kind of what we’re dealing with every week here with just the number of guys that are hurt, who aren’t on IR becomes a roster issue. That’s kind of the stuff we try to see and how it plays out with these guys who we’re waiting on who are day-to-day.”
Left guard Ben Bartch could return this week. That will allow one fewer lineman to be active, presumably Zakelj, despite him playing 39 percent of the snaps in Week 8.
One of the players who isn’t hurt and didn’t play was rookie CJ West. He was a healthy scratch in Week 8. Getting Bartch back could allow for West to play, especially if Jordan Elliott, who only played 18 snaps after an ankle injury, can’t suit up against the Giants. Elliott has been quite good this season, so there is a drop-off going from him to the rookie.
We are a week away from the trade deadline, and it’ll take more than a couple of rotational players for San Francisco to muster up a pass rush. Despite Shanahan’s complaints about healthy players not playing, there are no answers left on the bench. That’s not limited to the defensive line, either.
There is no replacing Ricky Pearsall or Brandon Aiyuk. There isn’t a “next man up” after Bryce Huff. This team has been fortunate to weather the storm without Brock Purdy. The answer to the injury questions isn’t about acquiring players at the trade deadline. It’s about getting players back healthy —like Pearsall, Purdy, Jake Brendel, and Huff — back.
