The San Francisco 49ers are one of just three remaining undefeated teams in the NFL after improving to 6-0 with a win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.
However, they’ve continued to battle the injury bug all season, with several players still sidelined.
With just one game left before their bye week, the 49ers will face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and could get some much-needed reinforcements back on the field.
Kyle Shanahan Announces Major Update on Christian Kirk
Injuries have depleted San Francisco’s wide receiver room this season. De’Zhaun Stribling and DeMarcus Robinson landed on injured reserve, Ricky Pearsall will miss the rest of the season, and Deebo Samuel likely won’t return for a few more weeks.
Another player who hasn’t seen the field this season is veteran Christian Kirk, who joined the 49ers this offseason.
Kirk began the year on injured reserve, but his practice window opened last week. He didn’t play against Washington on Monday night.
However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that Kirk is “trending in the right direction” to play Sunday against the Falcons. His potential return would provide a major boost to the offense, especially with Mike Evans’ status in doubt.
“He looked good out there, talking to him he felt good,” Shanahan said. “And I think he felt good last week so it’s trending in the right direction.”
“He looked good out there, talking to him he felt good. And I think he felt good last week so it’s trending in the right direction.”
– Kyle Shanahan tells @Adamcopes & @dpapapops that Christian Kirk is looking likely to make his season debut in Atlanta on Sunday. https://t.co/bxlLWGDr2B
— KNBR (@KNBR) October 22, 2026
Brock Purdy and George Kittle Speak on Kirk
Kirk is already impressing his teammates with his performance in practice as he nears his 49ers debut.
Tight end George Kittle said Kirk and Brandin Cooks “looked fantastic” during Thursday’s practice.
Quarterback Brock Purdy offered more detail about what he’s seen from Kirk and why he believes the veteran is ready to contribute.
“Yeah I think he’s ready to go,” Purdy said of Kirk. “Smart guy, vet guy obviously and everything like that, I think it was just more so having him come back last week practice and get acclimated with breaking the huddle, hearing the play call, having him go out and be confident against a guy in man to man coverage and stuff like that. He’s good to go in my eyes, and I think he’s going to come in do his job well, and hopefully I can get him the ball and we get into some situations where he can create some space and separation and make some plays for us. He’s a playmaker.”
Kyle Shanahan Gives Major Injury Update on 49ers WR Ahead of Falcons Game