Packers-49ers Injury Report: Kittle Among Game-Time Decisions for Niners
The Green Bay Packers, routinely one of the more injury-plagued teams the past several seasons, have come out on the right end of the injury stick a few times this season.
Having missed out on Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, for instance, could the Packers receive some more good fortune on Sunday against San Francisco?
While the Packers have a full roster coming out of their bye – only two players were even limited participation due to injuries – the 49ers were without tight end George Kittle, receivers Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders, running back Matt Breida, defensive end Dee Ford and left tackle Joe Staley on Wednesday. It’s obviously early in the practice week, but that’s five quality starters. Other than Staley, who had finger surgery last week and won’t play, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan called them “game-time” decisions.
(In the video above, hear from Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Sanders, who the Packers faced earlier this season while with Denver.)
The big name to watch this week is Kittle, the team’s Pro Bowl tight end. He’s missed the last two games.
“Better than last week, but not good enough to practice today,” Shanahan said. “It's going to come down to the wire again and hopefully it will work out.”
With the game moved to Sunday night, Shanahan is hoping the extra 4 hours until kickoff will be a benefit.
“When you have a lot of guys that are banged up, the later it can be, the better,” he said. “I think it's a little harder to get going early in the morning. If it was an East Coach Monday night game, that’d probably be the best except I wouldn’t want to travel and be on the road, but the longer our guys can have, the better. Our guys need it right now.”
For Green Bay, receiver Davante Adams (toe) and Danny Vitale (knee) were limited participation.
“I’m definitely getting better and better,” Adams said. “I mean, it’s a tough injury. It’s the toughest one I’ve ever had. I’m not going to say it’s the hardest injury to deal with in football as far as recovery time, but it’s something you’ve really got to pay attention to and really listen to your body and look at it and scan it and look at it and see if it’s healed or not – which obviously it is, but I’m dealing with some discomfort and things like that at this point that it’s stuff that I’ve got to battle through and see if what I can do. It’s definitely not the easiest thing but we’re seeing what we can do.”
PACKERS INJURY REPORT
Did not participate: TE Jimmy Graham (veteran rest), CB Tramon Williams (veteran rest).
Limited: WR Davante Adams (toe), FB Danny Vitale (knee).
Full: RT Bryan Bulaga (veteran rest), ILB Oren Burks (pectoral), WR Jake Kumerow (finger), TE Marcedes Lewis (veteran rest), ILB Blake Martinez (full), S Will Redmond (shoulder), OLB Preston Smith (hand), CB Tremon Smith (concussion), ILB Ty Summers (concussion), TE Robert Tonyan (hip).
49ERS INJURY REPORT
Did not participate: RB Matt Breida (ankle), DE Dee Ford (quad/hamstring), K Robbie Gould (quad), TE George Kittle (ankle/knee), WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder), WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs), LT Joe Staley (finger).
Limited: DT D.J. Jones (groin), RB Raheem Mostert (knee).
Full: LB Azeez Al-Shaair (concussion).
