SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers star receiver Mike Evans will miss Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons because of Achilles tendinitis.
Evans tried to play through the injury last week against Washington before leaving the game late in the first half and has been unable to practice this week. He will miss the game on Sunday and then have a week to rest when San Francisco is on a bye before the next game on Nov. 8 at home against Las
Vegas.
The Niners ruled out five other players for the game with defensive end Nick Bosa (calf), receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring), linebacker Garret Wallow (hamstring), linebacker Luke Gifford (groin) and safety Marques Sigle (ankle) all out for the game.
Bosa, who hasn't played since Week 2, had expressed optimism two weeks ago about playing this week but remains sidelined.
“He worked out after he said that and the next day it was just a little sore, which surprised all of us,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday. "That wasn’t a great sign, especially going to play on turf this week. So I think it was more he was just a little too optimistic."
Safety Siran Neal (knee), defensive back Upton Stout (shoulder) and receiver Christian Kirk (calf) are all listed as questionable with Kirk expected to make his debut for San Francisco after he is activated from injured reserve on Saturday.
The injuries could leave San Francisco with fewer healthy players than the maximum they are allowed to suit up for a game which could force some players into new roles especially if anyone gets hurt during the game.
“It's stuff we’ve talked about throughout the week,” Shanahan said. “Hope it doesn’t get to it, and odds are it won’t, but it definitely could. You’re always a few injuries away from those situations, and now it comes down to a couple. So those percentages go up.”
The most consequential injury for Sunday is the one to Evans with San Francisco already missing receivers Samuel, Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson.
The 33-year-old Evans has been a key part of the 49ers’ offense in his first season in San Francisco. He has 27 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns. The Niners offense struggled in the second half last week after he left with the injury.
The 49ers will be forced to rely heavily on Kirk and Brandin Cooks, who joined the team last month and has two catches in three games so far. Both are veterans who have had 1,000-yard seasons in the past and have been working to get up to speed with quarterback Brock Purdy.
“I’m excited to get Christian Kirk out there now,” Purdy said. "That’s the nice thing for me is yeah, we have guys down, but we have some vets that are actually stepping up and have been in this moment before.”
The 49ers released defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo on Friday to make room for Kirk's planned return to the active roster on Saturday. The move allows the Niners to bring Okoronkwo back to the practice squad on Saturday and elevate him for the game if they choose.
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