The San Francisco 49ers typically make a small number of roster moves the day before each game, most often limited to elevating players from the practice squad and the occasional injury-related transaction. However, the 49ers head into Sunday's NFC Wild Card playoff matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles with a lengthy injury report.
San Francisco has seven players listed as questionable for the postseason opener:
- WR Jacob Cowing (hamstring)
- LB Luke Gifford (quadricep)
- CB Renardo Green (ankle)
- WR Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle)
- DE Keion White (groin, hamstring)
- T Trent Williams (hamstring)
- LB Dee Winters (ankle)
On Friday, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked whether that lengthy list could force the 49ers to make additional roster moves beyond the standard practice-squad elevations.
"Yeah, possibly, depending on how that goes," Shanahan said. "We would possibly have to do that. Yeah, you're only allowed to have two elevations, so if we need more than that, we'd have to make a roster move."
There is some optimism surrounding Trent Williams, who was a limited participant in practice throughout the week. Unlike last week, the All-Pro left tackle appears to be trending toward a possible return after missing the regular-season finale.
The outlook is less encouraging for Ricky Pearsall, who has not practiced over the past two weeks after aggravating a previous PCL injury in Week 17. His chances of playing on Sunday appear slim.
Cornerback Renardo Green also adds another layer of uncertainty. He was added to the injury report late after, as Shanahan described it, he "zinged" his foot during practice.
Extra day of rest could benefit 49ers
San Francisco has benefited from an extra day of preparation after closing the regular season with three games in 13 days, capped by Saturday night's Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
When asked whether the team has looked fresher during the week, Shanahan didn't hesitate.
"I think big time," Shanahan said. "I think those three games in 13 days, the three national TV games, all that stuff that I've talked about, I think it really added up. Getting a normal week plus an extra day this week, just getting eight days, I remember seeing the players on Wednesday, and we all kind of joked that it felt like we just came back from a bye week, because it kind of did.
"It was our first time having a normal routine in about three weeks, and just getting away for a little bit, I think guys felt much more rested than the previous three."
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