49ers notebook: Arik Armstead gets normal day off, Dee Ford ‘feeling good,’ team leads NFL in Pro Bowl voting
The 49ers aren’t expecting to be without their leader in sacks for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints after all.
Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, who left the practice field early during the portion of Thursday’s practice open to reporters, was given a routine day off, coordinator Robert Saleh said. There’s no concern Armstead will miss Sunday’s critical game in New Orleans.
“He had a big workload in that Baltimore (with) the things we were asking him to do, just giving him a day off,” said Saleh.
Armstead led San Francisco’s defensive linemen with 61 snaps against the Ravens (91 percent). It was a tough, physical game that included 38 rushing attempts from Baltimore, the league’s most prolific rushing team.
Armstead finished with four total tackles, but his impact on the game and the defense overall might not always show up on the stat sheet, even though he leads the team with 10 sacks in 12 contests. The 49ers are second in the NFL behind the Carolina Panthers with 45 sacks on the year.
“He’s one of the most violent defensive linemen in football,” Saleh said of Armstead. “The knock-back he creates, especially when he’s matched up against a tight end. ... He’s very versatile. He’s got great pocket push — in the pocket. He means a lot. He’s kind of the glue that puts all this together. Between all of them, they all got a unique skill set that kind of helps them all work together.”
The 49ers are also expecting pass rusher Dee Ford to make his return Sunday after missing the past two games with a hamstring injury. Ford indicated he’s feeling good after practicing this week for the first time since sustaining the injury Nov. 17 while sacking Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. He was a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday.
“It feels good,” Ford said. “The hardest thing about coming back from the hamstring is you just got to trust it. It’s sort of still in the healing process, kind of early. I’m a fast healer so I have to be careful. It’s just certain movements. You just have to be confident with it. And I feel really good at practice and I feel really good going into the game.”
Ford is third on the team with 6.5 sacks despite playing sparingly this season. His return could be important as the Saints have allowed 21 sacks on the year, the fifth fewest in the league.
Dante Pettis returns to practice
Wide receiver Dante Pettis, who hasn’t recorded a catch since scoring a touchdown on Halloween in Arizona, returned to practice Thursday as a limited participant for the first time since spraining his knee the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Given the influx of healthy bodies, the 49ers might have a hard time making Pettis a member of the active 46-man roster on Sunday as Kyle Shanahan has seemingly settled on Emmanuel Sanders, Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne as his top three receivers.
Also limited on Thursday: tight end George Kittle (knee, ankle), cornerback Richard Sherman (knee) and tackle Joe Staley (finger).
Safety Jaquiski Tartt (rib fracture) and defensive lineman Jullian Taylor (elbow) missed practice for the second straight day.
49ers leading NFL in Pro-Bowl voting
No team has received more Pro Bowl votes than the 49ers, according to the NFL as it released the latest voting update this week. They are followed by the Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson leads all players with 447,481 votes.
No defender has received more than 49ers rookie defensive end Nick Bosa, who has 224,397. Garnering the second-most votes on defense is his brother, Joey, with 183,101.
Other 49ers to lead their respective positions in the NFC: fullback Kyle Juszczyk (272,776), tight end George Kittle (198,355), and Sherman (137,507).
Fans can cast their Pro Bowl ballots here. Voting ends Thursday, Dec. 12. The game will be played the weekend before the Super Bowl, Sunday Jan. 26 in Orlando.
--For the fifth season in a row, Staley was named one of eight finalists for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes players around the league who “exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field.”
Staley, 35, has never won the award. The other nominees: Jaguars defensive lineman Calais Campbell, Chargers linebacker Thomas Davis Sr., Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton, Washington running back Adrian Peterson, New England Patriots special teams standout Matthew Slater, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and Rams safety Eric Weddle.
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 2:24 PM.