Rookie safety Ji'Ayir Brown is the latest addition to the San Francisco 49ers' extensive injury list following Monday night's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Brown sustained a knee sprain during the game and will be absent from today's practice.
When questioned about the potential long-term impact of Brown's injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan said, "There's concern. I mean, we're not ruling them out this week, but there's concern. So he can't go today."
Shanahan outlined the team's contingency plans if Brown is unable to return for this weekend's game.
"We got someone on practice squad," Shanahan explained. "We've moved other positions there at nickel and corner to have some depth there. So we got some options. [Isaiah] Oliver is a possibility. Anybody who says they're a corner or safety is a possibility. And if those guys go down, then I would say a linebacker is a possibility. [General manager John] Lynch will be after that."
The 49ers will hold their first practice of the week this afternoon in preparation for the Week 17 road game against the Washington Commanders. They will also practice on Thursday and Friday before boarding a plane bound for the East Coast.
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead will remain sidelined due to foot and knee injuries. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings remains in the concussion protocol, and guard Aaron Banks (toe) and tackle Jaylon Moore (concussion) will also miss Wednesday's practice session.
Addressing Banks' status, Shanahan mentioned, "Not practicing, but he's not ruled out this week. So, hopefully, it'll be limited the next day, which, basically, I'm saying it's not quite as bad as last time (he missed games earlier in the season with a similar injury), but last time was pretty bad. So we've got to see how it goes in these next couple of days."
Limited participants in practice will include wide receiver Deebo Samuel (neck), defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (hamstring), linebacker Oren Burks (knee), and cornerback Ambry Thomas (knee, hand).
Tackle Trent Williams, who exited Monday night's game with a groin injury, will also be a limited participant today. Shanahan added that the 49ers are merely holding a walk-through due to the shorter week of preparation.
When asked if Williams' limited status is an encouraging sign for his availability on Sunday, Shanahan said, "I hope so."