Some good, some bad, and some unknown:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/amp/49ers-Ford-among-trio-that-won-t-return-in-15766909.php
Center Weston Richburg and defensive ends Dee Ford and Ronald Blair won’t return in 2020.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle could return for the last few regular-season games.
And
wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, nose tackle D.J. Jones, defensive end Jordan Willis and tight end Daniel Helm will be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday.
Yes, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had a slew of updates regarding sidelined players, ranging from positive to discouraging.
The most notable was the news that
Ford (back), who hasn’t played since Week 1, and Richburg (shoulder) and Blair (knee) are finished for the season.
Richburg, who suffered a torn patella tendon last December, hasn’t played this season because of an offseason shoulder surgery. Blair suffered a torn ACL 13 months ago that required a second surgery. Shanahan said last month there was “some stuff they messed up” in Blair’s initial procedure.
“Both (Blair and Richburg) had really bad setbacks with stuff that happened in their surgeries,” Shanahan said Tuesday.
Meanwhile,
there was guarded optimism that Garoppolo (ankle) and Kittle (foot) could contribute in the regular season. Both are on injured reserve, have missed the past three games and won’t return to practice this week.
Shanahan indicated they won’t return unless the 49ers (5-6) are in playoff contention. Their postseason chances were bolstered with a 23-30 win over the Rams on Sunday.
“I’m holding out hope for Jimmy for the last couple weeks (and) same with Kittle,” Shanahan said. “I think they’re in a similar boat with that. That’s not guaranteed. I mean, it’s how they react here over the next couple of weeks …
“That’s hopefully going to be the last couple weeks, whether it’s two games or one game or none. That’s why I was very happy with how we played last week and, hopefully, we can continue to do that.”
Finally, Aiyuk, Jones, Willis and Helm, who is on the practice squad, will be the last of nine players to be activated from the COVID list since last Wednesday.