On Friday, the 49ers will embark on a two-week road trip to the South (with a week-long stay in Appalachia at The Greenbrier). They are preparing for this trip with a fairly lengthy injury list, having ruled out seven players for this week’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Below is the team’s list of players ruled out due to injury for Sunday:
- DL Arik Armstead (foot, ankle)
- RB Tyrion Davis-Price (ankle)
- DT Javon Kinlaw (knee)
- TE Tyler Kroft (knee)
- OL Colton McKivitz (knee)
- DB Tarvarius Moore (hamstring)
- T Trent Williams (ankle)
Rookie wide receiver Danny Gray will make his return after missing out due to a rib injury last week, and there is an opportunity for Jimmie Ward to make his season debut.
Both Ward and Jason Verrett had their three-week return windows opened this week and Kyle Shanahan indicated a decision to activate Ward will be made by Saturday. Verrett will not be activated this week.
Bringing both back into the fold would create an embarrassment of riches in an already outstanding secondary.
Meanwhile, the defensive front is ailing a bit, as both Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw will miss out this week. Shanahan said both will likely miss next week, too, and that the 49ers are mulling a decision to place Armstead on injured reserve. He picked up another foot injury on the opposite foot/ankle that was initially injured.
San Francisco will likely activate interior lineman Akeem Spence again from the practice squad.
As for the Panthers, it’s a shorter list, with three players out and another three in question.
OUT:
- WR Laviska Shenault (hamstring)
- TE Stephen Sullivan (back)
- CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver (thigh)
Questionable:
- DE Marquis Haynes (knee)
- LB Frankie Luvu (shoulder)
- S Xavier Woods (hamstring)
Carolina’s offense will have a seriously tough task ahead. They are arguably the worst offense in the league, averaging a league-low 262.3 yards per game, against arguably the NFL’s best defense. It should be an, er, intriguing matchup.