© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
SANTA CLARA — At 1-7, the 49ers will have to win out to even have a shot at making the playoffs. No one expects that to happen, and that prospect is seemingly not at the top of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s current priority list.
Injuries have punctuated the 49ers’ season. In addition to Jimmy Garoppolo’s and Jerick McKinnon’s season-ending knee injuries, several additional key players have recently been banged up, whether Richard Sherman, Marquise Goodwin, or the starting safety duo. That now includes quarterback C.J. Beathard, who hurt his right wrist last Sunday, hindering him from gripping a football Tuesday. He is likely to be a game-time decision for San Francisco’s Thursday night matchup with the visiting Oakland Raiders.
Shanahan said San Francisco’s current record does not elevate his urgency to rush back injured players.
“We’re in the middle of the year,” Shanahan said Tuesday. “I want to get guys back as fast as possible to help us get a win. I also want to get guys back as soon as possible to get guys better. There’s two things that go into everything. Right now, it’s about what can we do to get a win, and what can we do to build guys and get them better.”
There is no denying San Francisco’s six-game losing streak bothers Shanahan. On Monday, he lamented his team’s inability to finish games by identifying its lack of “closers” and criticizing the coaching staff’s play-calling. He feels the 49ers had chances to win at Los Angeles (Chargers), Green Bay, and Arizona.
But there is a theme of patience within all of this.
When Shanahan signed a six-year contract last February, he inherited a team equipped for schemes completely different than the one he and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh have since installed. Just 12 players from the 2016 49ers team remain on the current one. Most of the starters have entered their first seasons in those roles. Add the injuries with issues of miscommunication and late-game struggles — hallmarks of a young, inexperienced team — and the 49ers have sunken to the bottom of the NFL totem pole. They statistically have the best chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Their decision to stand pat with Tuesday’s trade deadline underscores their patience. The 49ers believe that finding players through the draft and developing them, while sprinkling in marquee free agent pickups, will lead to ultimate success.
And the only way you find that success, Shanahan says, is through playing — game repetition. As frustrating as it may be, the idea of growing pains is that they will eventually blossom into something positive.
“Whether you do good or you do bad, as long as you look at it the right way and you get something from it, you can get better from that,” Shanahan said. “But, the only way to do that is to be healthy and get out there.”
Two players eyeing returns from injured reserve
The 49ers waived second-year players Victor Bolden and Greg Mabin Tuesday afternoon. The move was likely made to clear room for outside linebacker Dekoda Watson and strong safety Marcell Harris, who have both spent the entire season on injured reserve. Neither player has been activated yet.
Both Watson and Harris play positions that are shallow on depth. Reuben Foster is dealing with a hamstring injury that could sideline him for Week 8, potentially moving Malcolm Smith to the weak-side linebacker spot. Watson would provide a backup option, as the linebacker spots are generally interchangeable. He also played the LEO edge rusher spot last year.
The strong safety depth has also dwindled. Starter Jaquiski Tartt left last Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. His status is unknown for Thursday. His backup, Antone Exum, replaced Tartt and suffered a concussion that will keep him out of Thursday’s game, Shanahan said. After Tyvis Powell, Harris is the last strong safety remaining on the roster.
Harris, San Francisco’s sixth-round draft pick, has not played football in two seasons with an Achilles tear. The importance of supplying game reps may apply to him more than anyone on the roster.
“Obviously, he hasn’t had the tracking reps, the tackling reps, the going through the fire of snapping things out of his mouth from a communication standpoint,” Saleh said Tuesday. “So, it’s going to be trial by fire just like it is for a lot of these young guys. But, I feel confident of what we saw in college and how he’s been able to communicate in meetings and practice and all of that stuff. So, it’s just a matter of continuing to work and progress so that way when he does take the field, he’s full go.”
Injury report
Shanahan provided the following injury report for Tuesday’s walk-through practice.
- Did not practice: Beathard (right wrist), Exum (concussion), Foster (hamstring), and Tartt (shoulder).
- Limited: Breida (ankle), Sherman (calf), Pierre Garçon (shoulder and knee), Raheem Mostert (ankle), Mike Person (ankle), Weston Richburg (knee), and Joe Staley (ankle).