© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
We’re almost there. This bizarre season, which went in spite of so many signs that, perhaps, it shouldn’t, is nearing its end. At least it is for the 49ers, who will welcome this offseason more than most.
Kyle Shanahan’s New Year’s hopes and dreams
The 49ers’ 41-year-old coach had a president-type year in the sense that it probably exhausted him more than one year would for a normal person. To be fair, that’s most people in 2020, but Shanahan had some unique stressors to deal with.
His best player, and core of the team, Nick Bosa, was out for the season in Week 2, the same time Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-long trajectory went sideways with an ankle sprain that never got right. There were the fires, the COVID-19 outbreaks, and the ole boot from Santa Clara County, which still makes as little sense in retrospect as it did then.
So, yeah, Shanahan’s ready to move on.
“I didn’t even realize tomorrow was New Year’s, so that is exciting,” Shanahan said. “I do want this year to end for everything, not just football, but for 2020 [to end] for the world. But no, I’m just excited for a new start. It’s been a grind this year as everyone knows. I don’t look at it as a negative. I think there’s stuff that, obviously, we’re disappointed and wish went differently, but I think this year made us harder, it’s going to make us stronger, and therefore it’s going to make us better.”
He said he understands, having been around the NFL for his entire life, and being on the business end for almost half of it, that the cycle never actually ends.
“It just stops a little bit and enough for you to reset, to come back,” Shanahan said. “I’m ready to reset. I want our team to reset. I want us to get healthy. I want to figure out some tough decisions, and I want to get the Niners back on the field in front of our fans, what we’re used to, playing in our home and get back to life the way we’re used to and get back to playing football the way I know we’re capable of.”
Special situation on special teams
The 49ers restructured Robbie Gould’s contract on Wednesday, for a two-year, $7.25 million deal. It will unquestionably save the team money next season, and is a total of $2.75 million less than the two-year, $10 million option he had remaining.
Now, though, these next two years are fully guaranteed, whereas there had only been $750,000 in guaranteed money in each of the next two seasons (would have been $3 million guaranteed next year if his option had been picked up and $3 million in 2022 if he’d been kept on the roster). So, Gould gets that much fully guaranteed and the 49ers get a significant discount for a reliable kicker.
Shanahan explained the decision as a simple one.
“If you decide to move on from a good kicker like Robbie, you got to be willing to get worse or spend close to same money to try to stay the same,” Shanahan said. “So that’s, to me, a pretty easy decision. It’s important to us to have a good kicker. We have one of the best to me that’s played the game in Robbie and we’ll continue to have one, which helps us not have to fill that hole, and we can focus on the others. Everything ties together so it’s not just one after another. You got to think of all this stuff big picture, but I do know at least now we’re not going on spending money to get a new kicker or spending a draft pick on a kicker.”
As fate would have it, Gould landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, after the deal was announced. That came after long snapper Taybor Pepper and center Hroniss Grasu were added to the list earlier this week.
In corresponding moves, the 49ers are signing kicker Tristan Vizcaino, who should be able to practice Friday. The team already signed long snapper Colin Holba, who was with the 49ers last year, as a replacement long snapper.
49ers injuries
Take a deep breath before you read Kyle Shanahan’s practice expectations from Wednesday.
Did not practice:
- Brandon Aiyuk (ankle sprain) – OUT Sunday
- Trent Williams (elbow sprain) – OUT Sunday
- Jordan Willis (ankle sprain) – OUT Sunday
- Deebo Samuel (hamstring) – OUT Sunday
- Richard Sherman (calf) – OUT Sunday
- Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) – He’s done. “Don’t plan on him playing this week,” Shanahan said.
- K’Waun Williams (shin contusion) – Shanahan said Monday that he should be “good to go” for Sunday’s game
- Javon Kinlaw (knee) – Day-to-day, unclear if it’s related to the knee tendinitis he dealt with in college
- Mark Nzeocha (illness)
Limited
- Dion Jordan (knee) – day-to-day
- Tarvarius Moore (ankle) – Like Williams, should be “good to” for Sunday
- Emmanuel Moseley (hamstring)
- Justin Skule (knee sprain)
Full practice
- Jimmie Ward (concussion)
- Charlie Woerner (not injury related)
Right guard Tom Compton (concussion) had his practice window opened from injured reserve and could play Sunday if he clears protocols. He suffered two concussions in three weeks earlier this year.