Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
OLB Aaron Lynch was the only San Francisco 49ers player listed as Out on the team's official Friday injury report. He practiced this week but was limited and seen limping badly on his injured ankle.
WR Torrey Smith returned to practice on Thursday after missing the previous two days. He practiced Friday as well. Smith injured his back during a play in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals. He and
CB Rashard Robinson are listed as Questionable.
For the New England Patriots, the team will be without one of their biggest weapons.
TE Rob Gronkowski did not practice this week. According to Ian Rapoport of
NFL Media, he suffered a perforated lung during the Patriots' loss to the Seattle Seahawks on a hit from FS Earl Thomas. He is not traveling with the team, who left for the Bay Area today. He and
WR Chris Hogan are listed as Out.
Below are the official injury reports for Sunday's game between the Patriots and the 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Also included are the Friday practice participation reports for both teams.
San Francisco 49ers Injuries
Out
LB Aaron Lynch (ankle)
Questionable
CB Rashard Robinson (knee), WR Torrey Smith (back)
New England Patriots Injuries
Out
TE Rob Gronkowski (chest), WR Chris Hogan (back)
Questionable
TE Martellus Bennett (ankle), WR Julian Edelman (foot)
San Francisco 49ers Friday Practice
Limited Participation
LB Aaron Lynch (ankle), CB Rashard Robinson (knee), WR Torrey Smith (back)
Full Participation
G Zane Beadles (ankle/knee), CB Tramaine Brock (hamstring), DT Quinton Dial (knee/neck), DT Glenn Dorsey (knee), LB Eli Harold (toe), RB Carlos Hyde (shoulder), C Daniel Kilgore (hamstring/calf), S Eric Reid (knee)
New England Patriots Friday Practice
Did Not Practice
TE Rob Gronkowski (chest)
Limited Participation
TE Martellus Bennett (ankle), WR Julian Edelman (foot), WR Chris Hogan (back)
Not Listed
DT Alan Branch (back), T Nate Solder (not injury related)
On Monday, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed that three teams have officially requested to interview defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. They are the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars. While the first two were already known, the last was not. However, the Jaguars' interest isn't unexpected.
Saleh will be a hot name as NFL teams with head-coaching vacancies look to fill those roles. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Saleh would interview with the Lions on Thursday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had previously said that his
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch spoke with reporters on Monday, the day after the team finished the 2020 season with a 6-10 record. Here is everything they had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening comments:
General Manager John Lynch: "The only thing I'd like to say, I know I speak for [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan], with all of you guys, I know a different year for you doing this remotely. You guys deal with Kyle a lot more than you do with me and our players, but we're very appreciative of your guys' patience and your flexibility to do it this way. We appreciate your cooperation and all that. So, thank you."
First
There is so much uncertainty for the San Francisco 49ers as they embark into the 2021 offseason. Nearly 40 players are scheduled to become free agents, and the team is pressed up against a salary cap that is expected to drop from $198.2 million to a number that could be as low as $175 million.
General manager John Lynch said this week that the 49ers are operating under the assumption that they will have $175 million to work with this year. Anything more would be a bonus. That means some tough decisions may be on the horizon, and the roster could look very different next season.
Fred Warner, who will need a contract extension himself fairly soon, isn't too worried about the 49ers' future. After all, 2020's downfall had more to do with injuries than anything else.
