San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan provided injury updates Monday afternoon.
Wide receiver Mike Evans will be managed throughout the week with a hip injury. Evans pulled himself mid-game in Week 2 after it was evident something had bothered him.
The practice reps for Evans were going to be limited regardless. It wouldn’t be surprising if we saw him sit out of multiple practices, or at least have a limited designation, only for him to suit up on Sundays throughout the season.
Shanahan confirmed
the high-ankle sprains for wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. Those two could miss anywhere from three to six weeks.
Shanahan said that Robinson is a potential candidate to land on the Injured Reserve. The 49ers are going to need to get creative if they keep losing players, as there are so many spots that you can designate to return from the Injured Reserve list during the regular season.
So if Thompson Jr. is closer to three weeks than six, the Niners may have to bite the bullet and have him inactive on game days without using an IR spot. Thompson Jr. played 34% of the snaps in Week 2.
There were five teams that held tryouts on Monday, but the 49ers weren’t among them, per the NFL’s transaction wire. That may change on Tuesday, unless the 49ers are content with the options on their practice squad. Those are Sebestian Valdez, Kevin Givens, and the recently added McKinnley Jackson.
Rookie edge rusher Romello Height broke his hand and will need surgery. Shanahan didn’t rule out Height being able to play as soon as Sunday.
The injuries aren’t 1-for-1, but we’ve seen Talanoa Hufanga (torn wrist ligaments), CJ West (broken thumb), and Jimmie Ward (broken hand) all play with some sort of protective casts.
Height played over half of the snaps in Week 2. He is not a player the 49ers defense can afford to miss, especially with Sam Okuayinonu and Mykel Williams sidelined.
Speaking of Mykel, he’s eligible to return to practice this week. The new PUP rules allow players to practice with their teams after Week 2. However, the 49ers are holding Williams and Christian Kirk out of practice this upcoming week. Shanahan is hopeful those two can practice in Week 4.
That would give them a week of practicing under their belts for a potential Week 5 debut against the Seattle Seahawks.
