Who plays and how much for the 49ers in their season finale against the Rams is still up in the air for head coach Kyle Shanahan. Quarterback Brock Purdy is going to get the week off, but beyond that Shanahan said there’s no guarantee any other players will rest.
Part of that is because the team has to field a full roster on game day and their injury situation will keep them from perhaps sitting as many players as they might want to. They also have a bye in the wild card round which complicates the situation since two full weeks off could lead to some rust for players when they finally suit up again for the divisional round.
San Francisco’s injury situation is illustrated in the Wednesday practice participation report, where 10 players were out of the session for either rest or injury. Two other players were limited.
Here’s a look at the full practice report from Wednesday:
Did not participate
DT Arik Armstead (foot, knee)
S Ji’Ayir Brown (knee)
TE Ross Dwelley (ankle)
OL Jon Feliciano (back)
S Tashaun Gipson Sr. (quad)
RB Christian McCaffrey (calf)
RB Elijah Mitchell (illness)
CB Ambry Thomas (hand)
It sounds like Armstead, Brown, Dwelley, McCaffrey and Thomas are all for sure out for Week 18, and Gipson has a quad strain that jeopardizes his chances to go Sunday. There’s some optimism for Feliciano, but a back injury for an offensive lineman isn’t a great sign.
Did not participate - not injury related
DL Nick Bosa (not injury related – resting player)
T Trent Williams (not injury related – resting player)
Bosa and Williams have both earned a day off, especially a half speed practice like the 49ers had Wednesday. They’re two players who may see a reduced role in the season finale.
Limited participation
WR Jauan Jennings (concussion)
OT Jaylon Moore (concussion)
It’s a good sign for both players that they’ve progressed in the protocol enough to get a limited practice. Jennings missed two weeks with his concussion, while Moore missed last week.
Full participation
LG Aaron Banks (toe)
WR Danny Gray (shoulder)
WR Ray-Ray McCloud III (rib)
Good signs all around here. McCloud’s 21-day practice window was open so the team has three weeks to decide on activating him. If he’s good to go for Week 18 though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him up for the finale.
