49ers final injury report: Kyle Shanahan explains how Trent Williams can play on Saturday

Some of the 49ers most important players are listed as questionable against the Seahawks

Here’s a look at the San Francisco 49ers’ final injury report of the regular season for Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks:

Questionable –
Edge rusher Keion White (groin)
LT Trent Williams (hamstring)
Nickel Upton Stout (concussion)
TE George Kittle (ankle)
WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle)

Shanahan said Williams has “made good progress,” despite not practicing all week. The reporters in the locker room said Williams was not moving around well in the locker room.

Shanahan was asked how you thread the needle in a situation where it’s a do-or-die game, but there’s also a playoff game ahead:

“It needs to be possible, based off the doctors. It’s got to be more on what Trent tells me. I definitely don’t want to lose any players for the following week, knowing we’re in the playoffs.”

“I also look at it when you’re playing one less playoff game, you can look at that like a playoff game. I know it’s not over if we lose, but you still got to go play a game the next week on the road if you lose. We can completely avoid that by winning. I see this as a playoff game too. I don’t look at it like, ‘Maybe if you lose, you won’t have him next week.‘ I look at it as simple as, if the doctors OK it, and Trent believes he can do it and get through it, then there’s no decision on my part. We’ll definitely have him up.”

Shanahan believes it’s been beneficial for Austen Pleasants to practice every Wednesday with the first team. It’ll be Pleasants’ first start of the season in the biggest game of the year if Williams can’t play.

Stout was limited during the first two days but listed as a full participant on Thursday. Because he hasn’t officially cleared the concussion protocol, he’s listed as questionable.

Kittle said he expects to play earlier in the week.

Pearsall was listed as limited all week. Shanahan mentioned earlier in the week that Pearsall “zinged” his injury on the first play of the Bears game, but managed to make it through. Getting him and Kittle on the field against a defense like Seattle will be much-needed.

Kyle Juszczyk went from not practicing to being limited to a full participant with his hip injury. The same is true for Christian McCaffrey, who initially had a stiff back on Wednesday.

Shanahan said the team didn’t have a full-speed rep all week for the first time besides the Thursday night game. That was the plan to help some of the players who were banged up, like Juszczyk and McCaffrey, but also having three games in 13 days, it was needed for the entire team.

Edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos didn’t practice on Thursday. He does not have an injury designation. Cornerback Renardo Green was a full participant all week and is not listed on the injury report.

Category: General Sports