GETTY Dre Greenlaw #57 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts to a defensive stop during the first half against the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Championship game at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California.
Injuries are already stacking up against the San Francisco 49ers‘ youth contingent just a few weeks before the regular season opener against the Lions in Detroit.
Cam Inman, Niners reporter with the San Jose Mercury, reported via Twitter on Thursday morning, Aug. 19 the absence of several key players from practice on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
Among the 49ers not practicing are: wide receiver Jalen Hurd (knee), defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (knee), running back Elijah Mitchell (abductor) and offensive linemen Trent Williams (knee), Shon Coleman (knee) and Aaron Banks (shoulder)
SoCal resident Joe Staley here observing
“Among the 49ers not practicing are: wide receiver Jalen Hurd (knee), defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (knee), running back Elijah Mitchell (abductor), and offensive linemen Trent Williams (knee), Shon Coleman (knee) and Aaron Banks (shoulder),” Inman tweeted.
Wideout Hanging on in Niners Camp by a Thread
GettyWide receiver Jalen Hurd has only ever played in preseason games despite entering his third NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers.
The San Francisco coaching staff believes wideout Jalen Hurd has a real future ahead of him, if he can find a way to get on the field.
The wide receiver missed his entire rookie season with a broken bone in his back. He missed all of last year with a torn ACL. After sitting out much of the offseason, including most of training camp with knee issues, Hurd returned to practice during the middle of last week.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan may have had something to do with that return, after he speculated publicly about whether the promising young player would make the final roster considering his frequent absence from team activities.
“I know he’s battling back from a serious injury, and we know the potential he has and the upside and how much we think he can help us, but he’s got to show that,” Shanahan told media members Tuesday, Aug. 10.
“And there’s not a lot of time left. But we want to be smart with him. I know some things were bothering him today, so we were smart with him,” Shanahan continued. “Hopefully, he can get in a groove where he has a chance to go out there and play some football and give himself a chance to make this team.”
The head coach’s tune was a little more understanding when he spoke to Hurd’s condition Thursday, Aug. 19.
“As you guys know, he’s been in and out through most of this, and he’s had some knee soreness,” Shanahan told reporters. “He has got some knee tendinitis, so instead of going one day and having to take three off, we made the decision a couple of days ago to shut him down for the week, make sure he gets at least seven days off. I think it was five days before that, so it’s going to be a little over 10 days (total).”
Young Niners Kinlaw, Banks Also Dealing With Injuries as Season Nears
GettySan Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams
Javon Kinlaw, a 23-year-old defensive tackle who played in 14 games for the Niners last season, starting in 12 of them, continued to sit Thursday with a shoulder injury.
Aaron Banks, a rookie right guard drafted by the Niners with the 48th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, is also dealing with shoulder issues.
Banks, who is expected to compete for a starting job along the Niners offensive line, sustained the injury during the team’s first preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was initially expected to miss 2-3 weeks but should be ready come the season opener in Detroit on Sept. 12.
San Francisco’s eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams will also miss the rest of the week following a procedure to drain his injured knee.