SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Already without two of their most important players, the San Francisco 49ers added two more key names to the injury report Thursday when tight end George Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward did not participate in practice.
According to the team, Kittle is dealing with a hamstring injury and Ward has hamstring and knee issues. Neither player was on the field during the first part of practice, so their status heading into Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams is uncertain.
“I'm sure they'll end up being questionable,” coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR radio in San Francisco on Thursday. “They practiced well yesterday. They complained of a little bit of soreness after practice and they came in this morning with that, so we weren't going to put them in today and let them get really hurt.”
“Hopefully they'll come in tomorrow and get some work done. I definitely hope those guys can be available on Sunday, but if not, we'll have to go with the next guys.”
If that wasn't enough, defensive end Nick Bosa was a limited participant in Thursday's practice due to a rib issue.
This latest injury news comes shortly after the Niners placed running back Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles tendinitis) on injured reserve and lost Deebo Samuel to a calf injury against the Minnesota Vikings.
McCaffrey did not play in that game and will miss at least the next three. Samuel is expected to miss “a couple of weeks,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.
The extent of Kittle and Ward’s injuries is unclear at this point, but both were listed as full participants in Wednesday’s practice. Kittle was a first-team All-Pro in 2023; Ward was a second-team All-Pro.
If Kittle can't play against the Rams, veteran Eric Saubert would likely take over the starting role. Jake Tonges is the only tight end on the active roster, though Brayden Willis and Mason Pline are available on the practice squad for depth.
“Obviously, George Kittle is a great player,” run game coordinator Chris Foerster said. “… I don't know what (his status for Sunday) will be: play, don't play. The other guys have to step up a little bit more — a lot more. Maybe George will be out there all day, but I think all those guys have prepared to do it. This is their opportunity.”
Kittle was not present in the San Francisco locker room, but Ward did make a brief appearance. Niners defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said Ward is dealing with “some soreness” and that the team is “just being smart and decided to hold him out” on Thursday.
If Ward can't play, the Niners would likely turn to rookie Renardo Green, a second-round pick out of Florida State, to play more snaps in nickel packages with Isaac Yiadom starting on the outside opposite Deommodore Lenoir.
“He's looked really good,” Sorensen said of Green. “He's continually improving, so we have full confidence in Renardo. He's very competitive. He always wants to learn. He's learning. I feel really good for him.”
Darrell Luter Jr. and Rock Ya-Sin are the other cornerback options on the roster.
Heading into this weekend, the Niners and Rams are both dealing with injuries to key players. The Rams will be without wide receivers Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) and offensive linemen Steve Avila (knee) and Jonah Jackson (shoulder), among others.
