© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Thursday night’s inactive list is a look into just how spread thin the 49ers are and how quickly depth changes at positions. A few weeks ago, the 49ers had to start Brian Allen because Ahkello Witherspoon couldn’t go, apparently, unless it was an emergency (it immediately became an emergency and Witherspoon entered the game in the second quarter, though the result was already sealed).
On Thursday, the team now has so much depth at corner and Witherspoon has fallen so far out of favor that he is the lone active scratch for the team. Part of that equation may be the fact that Witherspoon is not traditionally used on special teams, but it’s a bad look to get benched behind Dontae Johnson and Ken Webster.
The other two inactives were expected, in Tevin Coleman (knee sprain) and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (hamstring). San Francisco will have both nickel corners in K’Waun Williams and Jamar Taylor available.
With four players on the reserve/COVID-19 list in Kendrick Bourne, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk, the team made six practice squad activations today (getting an extra four due to the reserve/COVID-19 list exceptions):
Activated:
OL 62 Tony Bergstrom
RB 48 Austin Walter
Activated (COVID exceptions):
WR 86 River Cracraft
S 32 Johnathan Cyprien
TE 88 Daniel Helm
WR 14 Kevin White
The Green Bay Packers will have running back Aaron Jones active for Thursday’s game, but will be without their starting left tackle and Bay Area native, David Bakhtiari:
10 QB Jordan Love
20 CB Kevin King
25 S Will Redmond
36 S Vernon Scott
69 T David Bakhtiari
93 DL Billy Winn