San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters ahead of Wednesday's practice—the team's first session as it prepares for its Week 9 matchup against the New York Giants. Shanahan provided updates on player participation as the 49ers continue to work through several key injuries.
Will not practice on Wednesday:
- C Jake Brendel (hamstring)
- LB Dee Winters (knee)
- DT Alfred Collins (shoulder)
- DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee, hamstring)
- WR Ricky Pearsall (knee)
- DE Bryce Huff (hamstring)
Limited practice participants:
- QB Brock Purdy (toe)
- OL Ben Bartch (ankle)
- DE Sam Okuayinonu (ankle)
- DT Jordan Elliott (ankle)
Neither Brock Purdy nor Ricky Pearsall has appeared in a game since Week 4. Shanahan noted that neither player was placed on injured reserve because their statuses remained week-to-week.
"[We were] hoping that it could be faster," Shanahan admitted.
What do the 49ers need to see from Purdy before determining if he's ready to return?
"That he feels confident he's ready to go based off how his toe feels," Shanahan said. "He's going to look that way, most likely, getting out there. If he gets out there and he's hobbling around and stuff, he won't be out there. So, he's got to go out there and go through the practices and stuff, and really let us know how good he feels because it's hard to know what's going on with the toe, and they're really iffy things."
Purdy initially suffered the toe injury in Week 1, causing him to miss two games before returning in Week 4, when he experienced a setback.
"Last time, we felt like he was feeling pretty good, looked pretty good in practice," Shanahan explained. "And then, in the game, one hit, and set him back five or six weeks—whatever this has been—four weeks. So it's kind of a sensitive situation, and hopefully, getting some reps in practice and stuff will give him that confidence that it's better than it was last time."
As for Ben Bartch, who remains on injured reserve but had his practice window opened this week, Shanahan hasn't ruled out the possibility of the offensive lineman playing against the Giants, though his status will depend on how he responds to practice reps this week.
"But the fact that he can get out there, it's definitely a possibility," Shanahan said. "I think it's been six weeks with an ankle, so we'll see how he looks on the field today."