After not playing in the second half against the New England Patriots, cornerback Isaac Yiadom was limited during Thursday’s practice
The San Francisco 49ers injury report is out, and for the second day in a row, tight end George Kittle (ribs) and linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) did not practice.
The Niners are in a tricky spot. They cannot afford to overlook a divisional opponent on Sunday, but they have a quick turnaround as they face the Seattle Seahawks the following Thursday.
So when your star players like Kittle and Warner are nursing injuries, you have to be cautious. It would not be surprising to see both players held out on Sunday. During his press conference, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said it’s a next-man-up mentality:
“You’ll never fully replace Fred, not saying we are, but the next guy has to practice and we have to operate. We’ve had some injuries. There’s adversity, and then there’s opportunity. With that, the next guy gets a chance, and they step up.
At practice, that’s when you really hone your skills. With Fred, without Fred, we’ve gotta communicate. And guys are really doing that.”
After hearing that first sentence, I took that to mean Warner is closer to doubtful, and the 49ers would rather him suit up next Thursday against a team that just threw the ball over 40 times against the Detroit Lions.
Here’s the full of the injury report from Thursday:
Did not participate:
George Kittle (ribs)
Fred Warner (ankle)
Chris Conley (oblique)
Jacob Cowing (shoulder)
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf)
Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
Limited:
Jordan Elliott (knee)
Kevin Givens (triceps)
Talanoa Hufanga (ankle)
Dee Winters (ankle)
Isaac Yiadom (thigh)
Kalia Davis (knee), Kyle Juszczyk(shoulder), and Trent Williams (rest) were full participants.
Yiadom, who started each of the four games before not playing a snap in the second half against New England, was not listed on the injury report on Wednesday. It’ll be interesting to see if the rotation between Yiadom and Renardo Green continues against an offense that is much more potent this week in the Arizona Cardinals.
As for linebacker, Flannigan-Fowles has received the bulk of the reps this year outside Warner and De’Vondre Campbell. Against the Patriots, Tatum Bethune and Winters both played in the second half after Warner did not return.
Injuries could be Winters’s chance to prove that he’s worthy of more snaps moving forward if Warner can’t play. Arizona figures to run plenty of three-wide receiver sets, meaning there’s only room for two linebackers.
There’s also the option for Sorensen to roll with three-safety looks or an extra cornerback. Due to the depth, the 49ers have options in the secondary and don’t have to play a linebacker. If they’re not comfortable, he can hold up in pass protection.