The San Francisco 49ers apparently cannot escape the risk of injury in the 2024 season.
Their first practice attendance report of Week 12 listed nine players who were either sidelined or limited due to injury. Of those nine, five are starters who were either All-Pros or Pro Bowlers last season.
At this point in the season, most teams have multiple players who are banged up and dealing with injuries, but the 49ers appear to have all of their key players dealing with injuries of varying severity at some point during the year.
With another important game looming and their playoff hopes potentially hanging in the balance, the 49ers will have to hope their injury luck changes quickly ahead of Sunday's showdown with the Green Bay Packers.
Here is the participation report from Wednesday:
Didn't participate
LB Tatum Bethune (knee)
DE Nick Bosa (hip, oblique)
DT Kevin Givens (groin)
RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, break)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)
Bethune suffered an MCL sprain in Week 11 and expects to be out for several weeks. Bosa recovered from his hip injury two weeks ago and now appears to have done additional damage that threatens his chances of playing against the Packers. Givens was seen working on a sideline late last week, providing some optimism about a possible return. His non-participation does not bode well for his chances of playing this week. McCaffrey likely will be unable or limited to every practice due to the team's treatment of his Achilles tendon injury, while Williams is dealing with an ankle problem he suffered last week.
Limited participation
WR Jacob Cowing (concussion)
C Jon Feliciano (knee)
TE George Kittle (hamstring)
QB Brock Purdy (right shoulder)
CB Charvarius Ward (not due to injury – personal matter)
Cowing suffered a concussion on a punt return last week. He must pass the concussion protocol to compete in Green Bay. Feliciano could be an answer for the 49ers on offense, but he has yet to be activated off IR. Kittle told reporters he was confident he would play in Week 12, but they could still limit him during the week as a precautionary measure. Purdy suffered a shoulder injury in Week 11 that will require treatment from San Francisco later in the week. The fact that it was limited is a good sign. Ward was also back on the training pitch after being away from the team for a while dealing with a personal tragedy.
