There was an outside chance San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley (fibula) was going to be able to suit up for the team's Week 8 home bout against the 4-2 Carolina Panthers.
But Staley, who was projected to return in late October or early November, won't be available for Sunday's contest at Levi's Stadium. And neither will be fellow starting tackle, Mike McGlinchey, who is also listed with the Niners' Week 8 inactives:
Witherspoon is also projected to return soon, although he missed the week of practice leading up to Sunday's game.
Interestingly enough, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin is listed as inactive. Goodwin missed practice during the week, too, tending to a personal matter, which head coach Kyle Shanahan did not disclose. However, his role on San Francisco's offense is likely to be filled by the team's recent acquisition, veteran wideout Emmanuel Sanders, whom the team picked up via a trade with the Denver Broncos earlier this week.
The 49ers and Panthers kick off on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
Steve Young praises 49ers offseason, still sees Super Bowl path
By David Bonilla
Jun 12
The San Francisco 49ers entered the offseason with a clear mission: secure the cornerstones of the roster. That meant locking in quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and linebacker Fred Warner.
Purdy's emergence as a franchise quarterback led to a monumental...
John Lynch confident in 49ers WRs while Brandon Aiyuk recovers
By David Bonilla
29 mins
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch isn't ready to place a timeline on when star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will return to the field after suffering ACL and MCL injuries last October. With Aiyuk unlikely to be ready for the start of the 2025 season, it appears Jauan...
49ers' Kyle Shanahan explains the challenge of media observing practices
By David Bonilla
Jun 10
The San Francisco 49ers are required to grant media access to a portion of their offseason practices. That included two sessions during organized team activities (OTAs) and both practices of this week's mandatory minicamp. Reporters will also have significant access to training...
49ers minicamp: Key observations from Tuesday's practice
By David Bonilla
Jun 10
The San Francisco 49ers kicked off mandatory minicamp this week, with practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. This minicamp wraps up the team's offseason program and marks the final opportunity to evaluate players before the 49ers break until training camp begins in...