The 49ers on Monday issued a handful of roster moves as they returned to the team facility following their week off.
A bye week had the anticipated effect of giving a few injured players time off enough to get healthy, and the team opened the practice windows of three players that have been on IR for at least four weeks. The club will have three weeks to decide whether to activate each player or place them on season-ending IR. They won’t count against the roster and they won’t show up on practice participation reports until they’re activated.
San Francisco also made a couple changes to their practice squad ahead of their Week 10 preparations.
Here is a quick rundown of the roster moves:
RB Elijah Mitchell
Mitchell had his practice window opened to return from IR. He’s been on the injured list with a sprained MCL since sustaining the injury in Week 1 against the Bears. With Jeff Wilson Jr. no longer with the 49ers, Mitchell steps into a significant role even with Christian McCaffrey now on the club. Mitchell should still be a key part of the run game with plenty of snaps alongside McCaffrey. A lighter workload might ultimately benefit Mitchell, who’s missed 13 of 25 games the last two seasons.
LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Al-Shaair has also been on IR with a sprained MCL. He suffered his in Week 3 when his knee collided with the helmet of Broncos QB Russell Wilson. The 49ers have had to patch together a linebacking corps with Al-Shaair out. Now with Dre Greenlaw nursing a calf issue, Al-Shaair’s return could provide a significant upgrade for the 49ers in the second level of their defense.
OL Colton McKivitz
McKivitz was the victim of an MCL sprain in Week 4 when he got a start against the Rams. He’s the 49ers’ top reserve offensive tackle, so having him back would give the club some much-needed breathing room with their health on the offensive line. Ideally they won’t have anymore injury issues there though.
Signed: WR Tajae Sharpe
Sharpe was one of a handful of receivers to work out for the 49ers ahead of the bye week. He was officially signed to the practice squad Monday. San Francisco has had a need for in-house veteran receivers when injuries stacked up at the position. Sharpe has been in the NFL since 2016 and has 117 catches for 1,397 yards and eight touchdowns.
TE Troy Fumagalli
Fumagalli was released from the practice squad to clear a roster spot for Sharpe. With Tyler Kroft back healthy and four TEs on the active roster, having a tight end on the practice squad is less essential.
