The San Francisco 49ers could be receiving several reinforcements this week. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters today that he expects tight end George Kittle (calf), running back Jeff Wilson (knee), and kicker Robbie Gould (groin) to return to practice. Kittle and Gould are on injured reserve while Wilson is on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list.
"It will be [Wilson's] first time playing football in a long time, so I don't know if he will be ready to go this week, but at least we know he's coming back soon," Shanahan said.
That means Wilson could return to practice this week, but he may not be full-go in time for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.
There is also a possibility that linebacker Dre Greenlaw returns this week. He has been on injured reserve since September 18 due to a core muscle injury.
"We're hoping we can [open his practice window] by Wednesday, but he's got to pass a few more things before we do that," Shanahan said.
Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and defensive end Dee Ford were both inactive on Sunday against the Chicago Bears due to concussions sustained during the previous game. However, Shanahan is optimistic that both will be available for Week 9.
"They were close enough [for Week 8] that we took it all the way until Saturday," Shanahan said. "But usually, when it's not looking good on Friday, that's when we put them down as 'doubtful.' We held out hope. That's why we took them with us on the trip. ... Much better today, and hopefully, they will be cleared by Wednesday."