The 49ers placed six players on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List. Ben Bartch and George Odum were placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list
The San Francisco 49ers announced eight transactions on Friday afternoon, ahead of the veterans reporting for training camp next week.
Six players were placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List:
WR Brandon Aiyuk
OL Andre Dillard
Edge Yetur Gross-Matos
S Malik Mustapha
WR Ricky Pearsall
LB Curtis Robinson
The Active/PUP list is for players who are unable to start training camp due to a football-related injury. They can return to practice as soon as they’re medically cleared.
The 49ers have broken up their training camp dates more than ever. They’ll practice next Wednesday through Friday, with a day off in between on Saturday. Then they’ll have another three practice blocks from Sunday, July 27, to Friday, July 29. That’s a typical schedule under Kyle Shanahan.
The difference comes in the third block. This time around, the Niners — likely when they start increasing the physicality at practice — their third block doesn’t start until Monday, August 4. This is the first time that we’ve seen a week-ish break once training camp has already begun.
August 4 would make sense as a return date for Pearsall. He was initially sidelined after tweaking his hamstring. At the last training camp, a shoulder injury prevented Pearsall from practicing immediately.
There’s no logical reason to rush back Pearsall if he’s nursing any sort of injury. They need their first-rounder from a year ago to develop into a reliable target for Brock Purdy. Pearsall could return on the 27th and have a long layoff after a three-day practice block.
Alternatively, the team could save him for the first day of full pads and heavy contact, presumably on August 4, and assess how his hamstring responds after a joint practice on August 7.
There are multiple ways for the 49ers to handle Pearsall’s injury, but acting as if his missing the first few non-padded practices is an issue feels like we’re being dramatic over an injury Shanahan said was “nothing serious” just over a month ago.
The Aiyuk news isn’t a surprise after hearing about his recovery and a possible return as early as Week 5. But it does put more pressure on Pearsall to accelerate his learning curve as a pro.
Speaking of taking pressure off your teammates, in June, Kyle Shanahan said Gross-Matos had “just some old knee wear and tear. We’re just being smart with him. He’ll be fine by training camp.”
Gross-Matos would be another beneficiary of a practice schedule with more breaks. During his first training camp with the 49ers, Gross-Matos suffered a knee injury in the preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders that was not considered severe at the time, but caused Gross-Matos to miss Week 1. He ended up on the Injured Reserve in early October to undergo knee surgery. The next time we’d see Gross-Matos was in Week 11.
It’s a great sign that Mustapha is listed with this group. He posted a clip of his recovery training in late June, where he was putting plenty of pressure on his surgically repaired knee. The 49ers’ inactivity in the free agency market is another reason to be optimistic about him being ready in time for Week 1.
Mustapha in Robert Saleh’s defense should get fans excited. The Jets had three safeties with at least three interceptions during Robert Saleh’s final season as a head coach, and they each pale in comparison to Mustapha’s talent level. The trajectory for Mustapha is sky-high. If he can return without any athletic limitations, Mustapha projects to be a Pro Bowl-caliber safety under Saleh.
The 49ers can slowly work Pearsall, Gross-Matos, and Mustapha up to football speed at their own pace, given the breaks in the schedule. It’s a sign that Shanahan is adapting and willing to change things — like strict practice regimens — he’s never done before.
Dillard had his ankle scoped. Shanahan said, “He’ll be good by training camp,” in June. Spencer Burford has been working at tackle behind Trent Williams. Those two, along with Austen Pleasants, will battle for the swing tackle job.
Left guard Ben Bartch and safety George Odum were placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. Bartch is the leader in the clubhouse to win the left guard job. Last week, George Kittle said, “I am excited about Ben Bartch because I love him as a guy. I am just looking forward to guys taking advantage of the opportunities.”
It’s unclear what injury Bartch suffered. For a couple of games last season, Bartch was arguably the best offensive lineman on the team. However, he suffered a high-ankle sprain before the 49ers could reap any more of those rewards.
Bartch missed the second half of the 2022 season after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 9. It was revealed that Bartch suffered knee-ligament damage. The following training camp, Bartch was placed on the Active/PUP list. Jacksonville would go on to waive Bartch in 2023, which is how he found his way to San Francisco’s roster.
It feels risky, to say the least, hoping that Bartch would be able to stay healthy for an entire season, given his brief history. There’s no denying his skill set and talent, which is also why you can’t fully blame the 49ers.
Matt Hennessy, Nick Zakelj, Connor Colby, and Drew Moss are the other interior options at left guard. The door is open for somebody to steal reps from Bartch if he misses significant time.