49ers notebook: Team getting healthier as showdown with New Orleans Saints looms
The 49ers had a few welcomed faces return to practice Wednesday as the week of preparation for the New Orleans Saints began in Florida.
Richard Sherman was on the field after leaving Sunday’s loss in Baltimore with a painful knee injury. He was listed as a limited participant.
“We did some Mr. Miyagi stuff on him,” Kyle Shanahan joked, referencing the the karate master from the movie, “The Karate Kid. “We’ll see though. Sherm always battles. You expect him to be out there. Hopefully he’ll get better each day. I know he’s not there all the way yet.”
Additionally, left tackle Joe Staley (limited, finger), pass rusher Dee Ford (limited, hamstring and knee), running back Matt Breida (full participation, ankle) were all in uniform and are trending toward playing in Sunday’s pivotal showdown after missing multiple games.
Sherman wasn’t noticeably hindered by the injury after having a pronounced limp in the locker room Sunday. Staley practiced with a small brace protecting his right ring finger that was dislocated and fractured in the Nov. 11 loss to Seattle. Breida appeared full speed after missing the last three games and was close to playing against the Ravens.
“We got a number of guys back. They looked good out there today,” Kyle Shanahan said afterward. “We’re still working through it. It’s been a while for some of them, but hopefully we can keep that going week by week here towards the end (of the season).”
Ford’s possible return after a two-week absence could provide San Francisco’s defense a boost against Drew Brees and the Saints offense that passes at the highest rate in the league, particularly as left tackle Terron Armstead deals with an ankle injury sustained in the Nov. 24 victory over the Carolina Panthers. New Orleans will likely be without left guard Andrus Peat, a former first-round draft pick from Stanford, who broke his forearm last month.
The 49ers who did not practice were safety Jaquiski Tartt (rib fracture), receiver Dante Pettis (knee sprain) and defensive tackle Jullian Taylor (elbow). Pettis was doing rehab work on a side field after spraining his knee during practice last week. Taylor was seen with a heavy wrap on his right elbow and wrist.
San Francisco is spending this week practicing at IMG Academy in Bradenton, roughly an hour south of Tampa Bay, to save travel time before heading to New Orleans on Friday. The team is using three practice fields at IMG’s expansive facility – and will use their 5,000-seat football stadium for their final walkthrough of the week – before getting on a plane for the hour-and-45-minute flight.
Shanahan noted the energy at practice was high coming off the team’s second loss of the season. And with the conditions approaching 70 degrees after cold and rainy weather in the Bay Area and Baltimore, the team welcomed the warmth of Bradenton.
“We’re in a beautiful place,” tight end George Kittle said. “We’re just having a good time and the facilities are fantastic.”
49ers re-sign S Antone Exum Jr.
Because of the injury to Tartt, the 49ers on Wednesday re-signed safety Antone Exum Jr., who was on the active roster for three games early in the season after appearing in 15 games with the team in 2018. He originally signed with San Francisco in Nov. 2017 after spending his first two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He was given a one-year contract.
The move indicates the 49ers are preparing to be without Tartt for Sunday’s game after sustaining his injury on the second play of the third quarter during the loss to the Ravens. Tartt was replaced by Marcell Harris, who forced Lamar Jackson’s first fumble of the season soon after Tartt’s exit. Exum takes the roster spot vacated by kicker Chase McLaughlin’s release Tuesday.
San Francisco also opened the practice window for defensive lineman Kentavius Street, who has been on injured reserve since Sept. 1 while dealing with complications from an ACL injury suffered in a workout before he was picked in the fourth round of the 2018 draft out of North Carolina State. Street appeared in the second and third preseason games, recording eight tackles and 1.5 sacks before pain in his knee led to him getting shut down for the season.
With four games remaining, Street could get added to the 53-man roster soon given the injury issues along the defensive line as tackle Jullian Taylor is dealing with a ligament issue in his elbow that could cause him to miss multiple games. Nose tackle D.J. Jones is also dealing with an ankle sprain, though Jones was limited in Wednesday’s practice.
The team has 21 days to make Street active or shut him down for the rest of the season. He hasn’t played in a regular season game since getting drafted because of his pre-draft injury.
▪ The 49ers earlier this week signed receiver Chris Thompson to the practice squad and released offensive lineman Will Holden off the practice squad. Thompson, 25, had two separate week-long stints with San Francisco in August.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 2:30 PM.
