Well, it’s officially, official. The San Fran Francisco 49ers have placed running back Raheem Mostert on injured reserve as of Saturday.
This move isn’t much of a surprise as we already knew that Mostert suffered a high ankle sprain in last Sunday night’s win over the Los Angeles Rams.
On Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan said the team expected Mostert would miss some time but waited for other roster changes to announce it.
Per protocol, Mostert must miss the next three games before he’s eligible to return. However, he could be out longer than that.
Mostert Was Finally Back
This is certainly disappointing for Mostert as he has just come off of an injury. Last Sunday was Mostert’s second game returning from a mild MCL injury which set him back in Week 2 against the New York Jets.
A high ankle sprain is a little bit tougher to overcome than the knee injury he was dealing with. We saw that with Jimmy Garoppolo, who also suffered a high ankle sprain, and came back with the worst performance of his career against the Dolphins.
On step forward, two steps back. That’s what seems to be happening in San Francisco. Their injury-plagued roster health seemed to be trending in the right direction until it wasn’t.
They were already thin on the running back depth chart last week. Tevin Coleman is still on the injured reserve and Jeff Wilson Jr. was inactive. This left the Niners with Jerick McKinnon and undrafted rookie JaMychal Hasty as the only healthy running back options against the Rams.
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Without Mostert, What Now?
With Mostert headed to the injured reserve, the team will look to what’s left of the depth chart consisting of McKinnon, Hasty, and, Wilson for Sunday.
As of now, Wilson is still listed as questionable with a calf injury. He practiced all well and the Niners didn’t elevate another running back which means he should be good to go on Sunday.
“Jeff got more [work] as the week went,” Shanahan told ESPN. “Today, he got a little bit more than he had the last two days, but again, it was walk-through. So it was nice to have him out there for about 10 plays yesterday. I’m hoping this flight will treat him right and he’ll give us the green light on Sunday.”
Shanahan noted earlier this week that Coleman is unlikely to return anytime soon so these guys will be carrying the load for now.
Other Roster Moves
The Niners have elevated safeties Jared Mayden and Johnathan Cyprien from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
This means the team now has one vacant spot on the roster to fill. This spot is most likely to be filled by linebacker Jordan Willia, according to ESPN. A league source told ESPN that the 49ers and Jets agreed on a trade that will send Willis to San Fran. Before anything is made official, Willis will have to undergo COVID-19 testing protocols.
The Jets are most likely getting wideout Dante Pettis in return for Willis, as the Niners put him on the trade block early this week.
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49ers Place Star RB Raheem Mostert on Injured Reserve