49ers notebook: Shanahan hopeful to get Garoppolo, Kittle back; others likely done
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan continues to remain optimistic Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle can come back from their injuries before the end of the regular season.
“I’m holding out hope for Jimmy for the last couple weeks. Same with Kittle, I think they’re in a similar boat with that,” Shanahan said. “That’s not guaranteed. I mean, it’s how they react here over the next couple of weeks.”
Garoppolo and Kittle both suffered injuries that put their season in jeopardy Nov. 1 in Seattle. Garoppolo suffered a second high ankle sprain to his right leg while Kittle fractured a bone in his foot. Both players will travel with the team to Arizona this week and continue their rehabs while they aim to come back at some point in December.
“They’re just starting to get into whether they can get on the field, not with us, but on their own and do some (rehab) stuff,” Shanahan said. “That’s hopefully going to be the last couple weeks, whether it’s two games or one game or none. That’s why I was very happy with how we played last week and hopefully we can continue to do that.”
The 49ers’ last three games are at the Cowboys on Dec. 20, at Arizona on Dec. 26 and home for the Seahawks Jan. 3, which could be played at their makeshift home, State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Ariz.
San Francisco’s win over the Rams on Sunday put them at 5-6 and just a game back of the seventh wild card spot in the NFC. The three teams currently occupying playoff spots — Rams, Buccaneers and Cardinals — all lost Sunday, bumping the 49ers closer to an improbable postseason berth.
They entered last weekend with an 11 percent shot at the postseason and came out of it with a 28 percent shot, according to FiveThirtyEight. Beating Buffalo (8-3), the first-place team in the AFC East and currently the No. 4 seed in the conference, would increase their chances to 40 percent. And beating Washington the next week ups that figure to 52 percent.
There’s also talk of the league expanding the playoff field to eight teams per conference if regular season games have to be canceled because of the pandemic, which could increase the 49ers’ odds at the postseason. It could increase the urgency when it comes to getting Garoppolo and Kittle back on the field.
Shanahan was asked about his approach to the standings knowing his team is just one game out in the loss column, and hinted that he believes his team might have to win out to get a shot, even though he doesn’t look at the standings on his own.
“I promise I haven’t looked at it at all,” he said. “Also because everyone else does so I get to hear them tell me all the time. My whole life, just my whole football career, I’ve always looked at it as 10 wins gets you in. And that’s always how I’ve based it off.”
Ford, Richburg, Blair unlikely to return this season
The 49ers are less likely to have three other key contributors back for a dubious postseason run. Shanahan said Tuesday it’s unlikely pass rusher Dee Ford (back), center Weston Richburg (knee, shoulder) or defensive end Ronald Blair III (torn ACL) will play again this season.
Ford hasn’t played since Week 1 when he sustained a neck injury the team eventually tabbed a back ailment. He was seen pushing a sled during a practice in October, but he hasn’t made enough progress to give the team optimism about his chances at returning.
“It’s not looking like it,” Shanahan said about Ford. “I’m not going to say no for sure. We’re holding out hope. But it’s not looking like it.”
Richburg and Blair, meanwhile, had setbacks after they were initially expected to be back at some point during the first half of the regular season. Richburg, who signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract in 2018, tore his patellar tendon in his knee during the win in New Orleans last October, and then later had surgery on his shoulder that required a lengthy rehab and has prevented him from getting back on the field.
Both Richburg and Ford could be salary cap casualties in the spring. The 49ers could save nearly $11 million in cap dollars by releasing both, according to Overthecap, giving them space to help sign star linebacker Fred Warner and bring back looming free agent left tackle Trent Williams.
The surgeon performing the procedure on Blair’s torn ACL made a mistake, per Shanahan, dealing him a significant setback in his rehab. The 49ers re-signed Blair to a one-year contract in the spring expecting him to contribute in 2020 after tearing his ACL last November while sacking Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
“I know both of them, they’re still around, I see them every day. I see them on every Zoom meeting,” said Shanahan of Richburg and Blair. “They even rehab all the time. I know they both are trying as hard as anyone. But it’s not looking very good right now.”
▪ Shanahan said he expects the four remaining players on the reserve/COVID-19 list to be activated in time for practice beginning Thursday, which means receiver Brandon Aiyuk, defensive tackle D.J. Jones, pass rusher Jordan Willis and practice squad tight end Daniel Helm should be available against Buffalo.
▪ Shanahan confirmed slot cornerback Jamar Taylor, who had been playing in place of K’Waun Williams, tore his ACL on Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season. He was placed on injured reserve. Cornerback Ken Webster was also placed on injured reserve following his hamstring strain, which could lead to Ahkello Witherspoon being made active for the first time in four games Monday against Buffalo. The team waived safety Chris Edwards, who was signed Nov. 24.
▪ Shanahan was asked about which player would be his emergency quarterback in light of the Denver Broncos having to use practice squad receiver Kendall Hinton at quarterback against the Saints on Sunday after the entire quarterback room was ruled ineligible for the game because of COVID contract tracing once Jeff Driskel tested positive.
Hinton completed 1 of 9 passes for 13 yards and two interceptions after being given roughly 24 hours notice. He played quarterback in college at Wake Forest before converting to receiver in the NFL.
So who is Shanahan’s emergency quarterback?
“We got a couple choices. They fight over it,” Shanahan said. “But it’s been Juice (fullback Kyle Juszczyk). He takes a lot of pride in that. But now Jet’s (running back Jerick McKinnon) back and no offense, Juice, but Jet played quarterback in college, so I’m probably going to go with Jet. Hopefully it never comes down to that.”
McKinnon was a quarterback at Georgia Southern before moving to running back when he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round in 2014.
