The 49ers’ Thursday practice participation report didn’t offer much in the way of news for the club heading into their season finale against the Cardinals.
Running back Christian McCaffrey is still sidelined by an ankle injury, and consecutive missed practices to begin the week isn’t a great sign for his availability Sunday. Friday will give us a better indication of his status for the game.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel also remained a full participant for the second day in a row. It’s still unclear whether he’ll play against Arizona, but his full participation with no setbacks means he should be ready for the postseason.
One minor change to the report – defensive lineman Kevin Givens participated in a limited fashion. He went down early in Week 14 against the Buccaneers with a knee injury and hasn’t practiced since. His return to the middle of the 49ers’ defensive line would be significant heading into the playoffs where stuffing the run becomes paramount.
Here’s the full Thursday practice report:
Did not participate
OL Aaron Banks (ankle, knee)
QB Jimmy Garoppolo (foot)
LB Dre Greenlaw (back)
DT Javon Kinlaw (illness, knee)
RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle, knee)
CB Ambry Thomas (ankle)
Kinlaw appears to have missed the session due to an illness and not because of an issue with his knee. Greenlaw and McCaffrey both missing Thursday point toward them not playing Sunday, but that isn’t finalized just yet.
Limited participation
DL Arik Armstead (foot, ankle)
DL Kevin Givens (knee)
The 49ers are likely trying to ramp Givens up for the playoffs more than they’re trying to get him ready for Sunday. Armstead is continuing the maintenance on his foot and ankle injuries.
Full participation
DL Nick Bosa (not injury related – resting player)
QB Brock Purdy (oblique, rib)
WR Deebo Samuel (ankle, knee)
LT Trent Williams (not injury related – resting player)
All good news here.
