49ers notebook: Jimmy Garoppolo remains out, but George Kittle will play vs. Eagles
It’s looking more and more like Nick Mullens will start his second consecutive game for the 49ers on Sunday night.
That’s because starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo missed his second straight day of practice Thursday, a day after coach Kyle Shanahan indicated he wanted to see Garoppolo be able to move around and protect himself on his injured right ankle. Garoppolo suffered a high ankle sprain during the Week 2 victory over the New York Jets.
“Anytime you’re dealing with an ankle, you might feel all right when you’re standing there, but can you move around and get into the awkward positions without hurting yourself? That’s really what we’d have to see,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “It would be tough for us to see that and truly judge that if he didn’t get into practice.”
There remains an outside chance Garoppolo practices on Friday, though that session is typically a walk through and might be difficult to gauge Garoppolo’s progress. Perhaps Mullens’ play from last week against the Giants, when he threw for 343 yards in the 36-9 blowout, will make the decision easier for Shanahan.
It also appears more likely after Thursday the team’s top receiver Deebo Samuel will be back on the field for his 2020 debut Sunday night. Samuel, who broke his foot in June, remains on the injured reserve list but can practice because the team opened his practice window this week. He would need to be added to the active roster by Saturday afternoon to be eligible to play Sunday night against Philadelphia.
Kittle expects to make return
San Francisco tight end George Kittle confirmed the expected on Thursday, saying he plans to play Sunday after missing two games with a left knee sprain.
“Knowing that I’m going to be healthy, I can go out there and play and not be worried about anything,” Kittle said Thursday. “Just let is loose, that’s what I’m looking forward to. Once you get over that hump and you know that you’re going to be back and you’re going to be fine, it makes it a lot easier.”
Kittle, who has a knack for playing through pain, said he could have played Week 2, just a week after the injury in the opener. He was a full participant in both practices this week after being limited in three sessions before last week’s game. The time off ensured Kittle had more time to get his knee right and avoid having a setback on the artificial turf at MetLife Stadium.
Kittle said there were multiple factors in the decision not to play last week.
“Had a conversation with coach Shanahan and just agreed it wasn’t the best decision,” Kittle said. “I wasn’t all the way back yet. It’s a long season. I think if it would have been later in the season, I would have definitely (played). But yeah, now I’m here and I get to play on ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Eagles, so that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
With Kittle back, it would mark the first time this season San Francisco had its top tight end and receiver on the field together, though it’s likely that running back Raheem Mostert will miss his second straight game with a knee injury. Mostert has practiced this week and his backup, Tevin Coleman, is expected to miss four games after being played on injured reserve.
“I’m so excited,” Kittle said. “I love Deebo. The way he plays, I think we play very similar when we get the ball in our hands. It’s just fun to be out there on the field with someone like that. With him like that, too, it’s going to elevate the play of our wide receiver room ... and so when you bring Deebo into that mix it’s going to be exciting to watch them groove together. From their dances, to their celebrations, to the excitement that they bring, they’re going to be on one and I’m just looking forward to it.”
Injuries and notes
Slot cornerback K’Waun Williams returned to practice as a limited participant after missing Wednesday’s session with a hip issue, which should be a good sign for his prognosis on Sunday night.
On the other hand, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who was a full participant in Wednesday’s session, spent the early part of practice open to reporters doing rehab on the side field. He was listed as a limited participant with the same hamstring injury that caused him to miss last week’s game.
If Witherspoon can’t play, San Francisco might have to tap Dontae Johnson for expanded playing time after he filled in for Emmanuel Moseley last week. Moseley missed practice Thursday after suffering a concussion on Sunday.
The full list of active 49ers to miss practice: defensive end Dee Ford (back), Garoppolo (ankle), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quadricep), Moseley (concussion), Mostert (knee) and tight end Jordan Reed (knee).
Moseley was seen jogging around the field in a helmet while he continues through the concussion protocol. His status is uncertain for Sunday while it’s likely Greenlaw, Mostert, Reed and Ford will all miss the game. Reed and Ford are expected to go on injured reserve in the coming days.
▪ While the 49ers’ receivers are starting to get healthy, things are looking markedly different for the Eagles’ wideouts.
The team had just one receiver on the active roster at practice Thursday, Greg Ward Jr., while Alshon Jeffery (foot), DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (calf) sat out. The team opened the practice window for Quez Watkins, who’s currently on injured reserve, and wound up practicing with three practice squad receivers, Travis Fulgham, Deontay Burnett and Marcus Green.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson said this week Jackson was day to day. Jeffery hasn’t appeared in a game since last December due to surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury.
Other Eagles that missed practice: guard Jamon Brown (illness), receiver John Hightower (illness), cornerback Avonte Maddox (ankle), left tackle Jason Peters (illness) and cornerback Trevor Williams (rib).
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 4:13 PM.
