San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters on a conference call Monday and provided some injury updates for the team heading into their Week 9 Bye.
Shanahan said wide receiver Deebo Samuel is considered day-to-day with a rib injury and an oblique strain. It’s unclear what his status would be if the 49ers had a game in Week 9, but having a week off to get right should be helpful for the 49ers’ former All-Pro WR.
Samuel had a good game Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys before exiting with what the team classified as a rib injury. He had four catches for 71 yards and four carries for 15 yards. He also had a 66-yard touchdown catch wiped out because of a penalty. Samuel will be re-evaluated after the Bye.
Running back Jordan Mason also left Sunday’s game early after re-injuring the shoulder he hurt in Week 6. Shanahan on Sunday night told reporters Mason might have been able to re-enter the game, but they stuck with rookie Isaac Guerendo who was having a strong performance.
Mason will also be re-evaluated after the Bye week.
It stands to reason the 49ers won’t need him to shoulder as much of the workload after the Bye with Christian McCaffrey expected to return. However, if his shoulder isn’t right, we could see Guerendo take over the RB2 carries while Mason heals.
Rookie cornerback Renardo Green, who was the 49ers’ highest-graded defensive player by Pro Football Focus on Sunday night, hurt his ankle late in the game. Shanahan said he’s day-to-day, which is a good sign that he’ll be okay after the week off.
Second-year linebacker Dee Winters has also been diagnosed with a concussion and is in the concussion protocol. He took a pair of hard hits to the head while making a special teams tackle Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the receiving corps took another hit. Veteran WR Chris Conley is dealing with a hamstring injury and is considered week-to-week.
Some good news on that front though: Shanahan said the team is expecting Jauan Jennings to return after the Bye from a hip injury that cost him Weeks 7 and 8. Jennings is third on the 49ers in receiving yards and second in receiving touchdowns despite missing their last two contests.
Shanahan also reiterated the plan is for McCaffrey’s practice window Monday after the Bye in hopes of getting him a bonus practice that day and a full week of practice to ramp up for their Week 10 game in Tampa Bay. McCaffrey will go through a simulated week of practice over the Bye to ensure he’s ready to return to action for the first time this season.
