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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterSep 19, 2024, 05:09 PM ET
- Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Already without two of their most important players, the San Francisco 49ers added two more key names to the injury report Thursday when tight end George Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward did not participate in practice.
Kittle is dealing with a hamstring injury and Ward is battling hamstring and knee issues, according to the team. Neither player was on the field for the early open portion of practice, leaving their status up in the air for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.
“They will end up being questionable I’m sure,” coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR radio in San Francisco on Thursday. “They had good practices yesterday. They complained of some soreness after practice and they came in this morning with it, so we weren’t going to put them out there today and have them get real hurt.
“Hopefully they come in tomorrow and can get some work in. Definitely hoping those guys can be available on Sunday but, if not, gotta go to the next guys up.”
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If that wasn’t enough, defensive end Nick Bosa was a limited participant in practice Thursday with a rib issue.
This latest injury news come on the heels of the Niners placing running back Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles tendinitis) on injured reserve and losing Deebo Samuel to a calf injury against the Minnesota Vikings.
McCaffrey sat out that game and will miss at least the next three. Samuel is expected to miss “a couple of weeks,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.
The extent of the injuries to Kittle and Ward is unclear at the moment, but both were listed as full participants in Wednesday’s practice. Kittle was a first-team All-Pro in 2023; Ward was second-team All-Pro.
If Kittle can’t play against the Rams, veteran Eric Saubert would likely step into the starting role. Jake Tonges is the only other tight end on the active roster, although Brayden Willis and Mason Pline are available from the practice squad for depth.
“Obviously, George Kittle is a great player,” run game coordinator Chris Foerster said. “… I don’t know what [his status for Sunday is] going to be — play, not play. The other guys have to step up a little bit more … a lot more. Maybe George is there all day, but I think those guys have all prepped to do it. This is their opportunity.”
Kittle was not seen in San Francisco’s locker room, but Ward did make a brief appearance. Niners defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said Ward is dealing with “some soreness” and that the team is “just being smart and decided to hold him out” on Thursday.
If Ward is unable to play, the Niners would likely turn to rookie Renardo Green, a second-round pick out of Florida State, to play more snaps in nickel packages with Isaac Yiadom starting outside opposite Deommodore Lenoir.
“He’s looked great,” Sorensen said of Green. “He continually gets better, so we’ve got total confidence in Renardo. He’s very competitive. He’s always wanting to learn. He is learning. Just feel great about him.”
Darrell Luter Jr. and Rock Ya-Sin are the other cornerback options on the roster.
Heading into this weekend, the Niners and Rams are both dealing with injuries to significant players. The Rams are missing top receivers Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) and offensive linemen Steve Avila (knee) and Jonah Jackson (shoulder), among others.
