The status of several 49ers Pro Bowlers is unclear as San Francisco prepares for Saturday’s showdown against the Seattle Seahawks.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan provided injury updates on players before a walkthrough Tuesday, including Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
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Williams and McCaffrey did not participate in the walkthrough, which is normal for the two veterans in the first practice session of the week. But they both have injury designations.
McCaffrey was registered in the practice report with a previously undisclosed back injury. Shanahan declined to specify when the injury surfaced, but told reporters “it’s just stiff.”
McCaffrey added. the injury is “not serious”“, indicating that his status as a player for Saturday’s match is not threatened. Considering his injury historyThis is a situation to watch for the rest of the week.
Having Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams healthy is key to San Francisco’s Super Bowl hopes.
(Michael Zagaris via Getty Images)
Williams, for his part, takes care of a hamstring injury he backed the first possession of San Francisco’s win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Shanahan told reporters that Williams was not ruled out for Saturday’s game.
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“We don’t know how long,” Shanahan said when asked how long Williams would be out. “We’ll give him a chance this week. We’ll see.”
Kittle, meanwhile, was back in practice as a limited participant suffering from a sprained ankle. His participation was an encouraging sign for the 49ers after missing Sunday’s game due to the injury he suffered Monday night in a win over the Colts.
Shanahan, however, was not ready to declare Kittle ready to face Seattle.
“I wouldn’t assume that,” Shanahan said when asked if Kittle had a good chance of playing. “We’re barely moving today. It’s a step-by-step tour. With the short week we have, we won’t do much all week.”
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While McCaffrey appears on track to play, the status of Williams and Kittle is less clear. With the No. 1 seed and the first-round playoff bye that comes with it, expect them all to play on Saturday if they can make it happen.
