The San Francisco 49ers’ inactive list is out for today’s game against the New York Giants:
QB Brock Purdy
C Jake Brendel
DE Bryce Huff
WR Ricky Pearsall
RB Jordan James
DT CJ West
S Marques Sigle
Sigle
is a healthy scratch after playing 23 special teams snaps last week and is a seven-game starter.
The defensive line will have Jordan Elliott and Sam Okuayinonu. Linebacker Dee Winters, who was also questionable, is active.
Local reporters Cam Inman and Matt Barrows hinted that Spencer Burford, who was activated from the Injured Reserve Saturday, will start at left guard. That is not something we anticipated, but it makes a ton of sense. Connor Colby has not worked out. Shocker, a seventh-rounder isn’t ready to play. Nick Zakelj, in backup duty when there was a rotation, wasn’t much better.
That’s where Burford, who hasn’t played at all this year but saw time at left guard in limited action during the 2024 season, steps in. Burford played 81 snaps last year at left guard in three stints. He came in Week 1, Week 6, started Week 14, and played again in Week 16. It was limited action, but there were positive flashes.
Burford allowed only two pressures in pass protection. The biggest difference came in the run game, where Burford’s athleticism made a difference when it came to moving laterally down the line of scrimmage, pulling across the formation, or sprinting out of his stance to cut off a linebacker at the second level.
And that’s precisely where whoever is playing left guard this year has struggled. Too often, Christian McCaffrey has been forced to make somebody miss in the backfield or hasn’t been able to reach the second level because there has been too much traffic behind the line of scrimmage.
The 49ers are hoping Burford brings them some stability and will likely take control of the left guard spot moving forward.
