On Jan. 10, the day before the San Francisco 49ers face the Philadelphia Eagles in their Wild Card Round playoff game, the Niners made a major roster decision as they continue to battle injuries in the postseason.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Jan. 10 that with Ricky Pearsall listed as questionable for the game in Philadelphia on Jan. 11, the 49ers activated WR Malik Turner.
While Pearsall is questionable, one of the Niners’ main players they hope to have available will be veteran tackle Trent Williams.
Williams injured his hamstring in Week 17 in the win over the Chicago Bears. He didn’t play in Week 18 as San Francisco fell to the Seattle Seahawks, and now there are question marks as to whether he can go against the Eagles.
Nonetheless, Williams spoke with reporters on Jan. 9 and shared how he’s feeling as the team prepares to head to Philadelphia.
“I feel good,” Williams said (h/t 95.7 The Game). “We’ll see. I feel confident.”
Williams noted that he’s looking forward to heading to Philadelphia and into a hostile environment.
“Anytime you go in there, it’s eventful,” Williams added (h/t 95.7 The Game). “You are going to see a lot of middle fingers. You’re going into the Belly of the Beast.”
Meanwhile, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan provides injury updates ahead of the game against the Eagles with all these players listed as questionable: DL Keion White (groin), WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle), LB Dee Winters (ankle), LB Luke Gifford (quad), DL Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), CB Renardo Green and Williams (ankle).
49ers Aren’t Taking Eagles, Jalen Hurts Lightly
Despite the Eagles’ rollercoaster season on offense, Jalen Hurts posted a passer rating of 98.5 with 3,224 yards, 25 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 16 games, per StatMuse.
As a result, Shanahan understands they are playing the reigning Super Bowl champions, and eliminating them won’t be easy, especially if Jalen Hurts has a big game. Shanahan spoke with the media on Jan. 7 and was asked about Hurts.
“He’s got a big-time arm,” Shanahan said (h/t Grant Cohn of On SI). “With those wideouts and stuff he has, he’s capable of making any throw, whether on time or whether extremely late, because usually, when a quarterback is late, you can’t throw it that far and catch up with those guys—he can.
Eagles Are Ready to Face 49ers QB Brock Purdy
Moreover, the Eagles are also worried about the 49ers’ QB, Brock Purdy, who will be looking to bounce back after his Week 18 performance in the loss to the Seahawks.
Even with the challenging game against Seattle, the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, understands that Purdy can harm his unit and isn’t taking the QB lightly.
“He’s a scrambler,” Fangio said while speaking to reporters on Jan. 6. “When he’s scrambling, he’s looking down the field. His eyes go down the field. He’s wanting to throw out of the scramble before he decides to run it. He’s very good at it.
“They have a lot of maximum play-action type protections, where he’s going to have some time anyway. Then, if he doesn’t like what he sees, can buy even more time. And I think that’s why his average is up there so high, as far as holding the ball.”
Insider Shares Major 49ers News Before Eagles Playoff Game