49ers injury updates: What to know about key players and their eventual returns

The undefeated 49ers (3-0) are in the midst of their unusually early bye week and have a number of injuries to key players. Let’s take a look at where each one stands and when they’re tentatively expected to return, and who will replace them, as San Francisco looks to make the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Joe Staley, Left tackle

The 49ers are optimistic Staley can be back in six weeks from sustaining his fractured left fibula in the third quarter of the blowout victory Week 2 over the Bengals. “The X-rays all look real good,” Staley said this week. “There’s no (bone) displacement. Everything’s lined up. Bone should be healing. (Barring) any unforeseen complications, bone should heal pretty smoothly and everything should be good to go.” Six weeks from the injury would put Staley in line to play Oct. 27 when San Francisco hosts the Carolina Panthers. That’s an optimistic time frame. Staley could return four days later for the Halloween game in Arizona, or after the extended break before the next game Nov. 11, when the Seattle Seahawks come to Levi’s Stadium for Monday Night Football. The 49ers will rely on sixth-round pick Justin Skule in the meantime, unless the team dips into the trade market, which seems unlikely given the dearth of available tackles.

Ahkello Witherspoon, Cornerback

Witherspoon sustained his foot injury at some point during the second half of the recent win over the Steelers and is expected to miss at least a month, according to Kyle Shanahan. The third-year pro was having another strong game adding to his impressive start to the season. He was playing with a level of physicality he didn’t show during the first two seasons of his career. Witherspoon this week will seek a second opinion from a foot specialist, but it’s unlikely his prognosis will change. Like Staley, the Nov. 11 game against the Seahawks seems like a reasonable estimation of when he could return, unless he heals faster than anticipated. The 49ers will hold an open competition between Emmanuel Moseley, Jason Verrett and perhaps Jimmie Ward to take over at right cornerback. The coaches love Ward in part because of his versatility, which could lead to him making another position switch back to cornerback from free safety.

Tevin Coleman, Running back

Coleman has been out since the first half of the season opener with a high left ankle sprain. He resumed running and Shanahan noted he’s optimistic the running back could return as soon as the next game against the Cleveland Browns on Monday, Oct. 7. The question becomes, how will Coleman be worked back into the mix? Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert are averaging 6.4 yards per carry combined, and Jeff Wilson Jr., who was promoted from the practice squad following Coleman’s injury, has scored four touchdowns in the past two games. The injuries elsewhere might make it tough to keep four halfbacks on the active 46-man roster on game days. The likely scenario is Coleman takes over for Wilson, who gets a healthy scratch.

Dee Ford, Defensive end

Ford hasn’t missed a game despite dealing with chronic knee tendinitis. He has two sacks and a forced fumble so far while living up to the billing despite playing just 42 percent of the defensive snaps to date (he played 87 percent last season with Kansas City). Ford revealed this week he might need surgery after the season to avoid the issue coming up again. “We’ll go further once (we) get done at the end of the year,” he said. “We’ll see what we have to do. We’ll have to do something, of course. But this is nothing that’s going to hinder me this year.” He also said he played through a groin tear he sustained Week 3 last season against San Francisco. It appears Ford will a lot of practice time this season in order to get his body right for Sundays. Fortunately, his pain tolerance is very high, he says.

Jimmie Ward, Defensive back

Ward no longer needs the awkward long cast on his right hand protecting his fractured ring finger he suffered just before the start of the regular season. It appears he’s on track to return after the bye. But at what position? The team telegraphed its usage of Ward in the third preseason game, using him at both free safety and in the slot. But K’Waun Williams has played well at nickel of late and Tarvarius Moore has held his own at free safety, save for a couple bad angles taken on long touchdowns to JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday and John Ross Week 2 in Cincinnati. Ward seemed likely to return to free safety before Witherspoon’s foot injury. Now he might be back in the mix at cornerback, particularly if the coaching staff sticks to the philosophy of trying to get the best players on the field no matter what position they play.

Trent Taylor, Wide receiver

Taylor was placed on injured reserve Sept. 20 following the foot surgery he had prior to the preseason opener Aug. 10. The bone is completely healed, but there were soft-tissue problems surrounding the fracture that caused a setback. The earliest Tayor can return is Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals (unfortunately for San Francisco, he can’t be retroactively placed on IR to return sooner after missing the first two games of the year). “He was having the best camp of anyone on our offense. That’s why it was real unfortunate for him,” Shanahan said of Tayor. “Hopefully this will heal up because I know the work he’s put in.” Taylor was Jimmy Garoppolo’s most trusted and consistent receiver throughout the offseason and training camp. Getting him back healthy could be massive for San Francisco during the season’s stretch run in late November.

Jalen Hurd, Wide receiver

The rookie third-round draft pick was working on his conditioning during the team’s light practice on Monday after suffering a stress reaction in his back during joint practices with the Denver Broncos last month. “He’s on track,” Shanahan said Monday. “We’ll see how it is when we get back from the bye week. I know he’s got a lot of work to do when we all get away from here for a little bit for the four days. ... But it’ll be big, the work he puts in while we’re away and we expect him to be ready when we get back.” Hurd could be part of the solution to replace Taylor in the slot. Though it might be difficult to insert him into games after missing more than a month of practices. The 49ers might take their time to make sure Hurd is comfortable within the offense before making him active for games.

Garrett Celek, Tight end

Celek suffered a fracture in his back that required offseason surgery. He began the year on the reserve physically unable to perform list, which means he’ll miss at least the first six weeks of the season. That means the soonest he can return is Oct. 20 in a road game against Washington. Celek has been a regular at the team’s headquarters and has ramped up his conditioning. The exact time frame of return is unknown given the uncertainty surrounding back injuries. In the meantime, the 49ers have utilized veteran Levine Toilolo as their primary blocking tight end. The results so far are promising. San Francisco has the league’s fourth-ranked rushing attack, though Toilolo has yet to be targeted in the passing game during his 54 snaps (25 percent) this season.

Kentavius Street, Defensive lineman

Taylor is likely to be given one of San Francisco’s two return designations from injured reserve. Street is a candidate for the second, although the 49ers may not need him after having surgery recently to fix complications from his torn ACL sustained before the 2018 draft. Street is eligible to return Week 9 against the Cardinals on Halloween. But the team already has eight healthy defensive linemen making it difficult for Street to be active if and when he returns to the active roster. The team might elect to keep him on IR for the duration of the season to maintain flexibility in case the second return designation is needed for another player down the line. That might not be such a bad thing for Street, despite the pro longed absence. It would give him two full seasons to work back from the initial injury and could assert himself in the rotation in 2020 as Arik Armstead and Ronald Blair III enter free agency in the spring.

49ers schedule

Oct. 7: Browns at 49ers, 5:15 p.m., ESPN

Oct. 13: 49ers at Rams, 1:05 p.m.

Oct. 20: 49ers at Washington, 10 a.m.

Oct. 27: Panthers at 49ers, 1:05 p.m.