Okay, Emerald City, listen up. The San Francisco 49ers are looking like an absolute MASH unit right now, and the hits just keep on coming. Not only is Mike Evans, the dude who practically single-handedly carved up our Seahawks late in their last game, now dealing with Achilles soreness and couldn’t even practice Thursday, but a local connection is in the mix too. Rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton, who legitimately starred right here in Seattle, didn’t practice either, thanks to a quad injury. The nature of his injury isn’t clear, but you gotta feel for the kid getting caught up in that disaster down south.
Christian Kirk Is Back, But That WR Room Is Still a Wreck
So yeah, their receiver situation is basically a horror show. The 49ers finally opened up a 21-day practice window for Christian Kirk on Thursday, which is great news for them, I guess. The guy’s been shelved for the first five weeks of the season with a calf injury, but he was a limited participant in practice for the first time since July 26. Kirk told reporters in the locker room he’s “feeling like myself again” and his “body’s starting to respond to the training and the recovery.” Head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn’t even expecting Kirk to practice this week, so he must’ve hit some milestones in his recovery to “get over that hump.”
But let’s be real, his return is out of sheer necessity. Those poor guys have been absolutely hammered at wide receiver, with Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, and even Deebo Samuel all dealing with injuries. They signed Kirk, who’s 29, to a one-year, $6 million deal this past offseason as depth, not expecting heavy contributions. Well, plans change when your entire receiving corps is in the infirmary. Even after Kirk’s return, their available receivers for Week 6 are looking like Mike Evans (now hobbled with Achilles soreness, remember?), Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, and Brandin Cooks. Kirk was once an impact player, putting up 1,108 yards in 2023 with the Jaguars after four seasons with the Cardinals. But the dude has missed 18 games over the past three seasons with groin, collarbone, and hamstring issues. So yeah, they’re desperate.
The Injury Bug Keeps Biting the Niners
It isn’t just the receivers getting hammered, either. Nick Bosa, who was telling reporters last week that a Week 6 return was “pretty darn likely,” didn’t practice Thursday with his own calf injury. Shanahan himself isn’t sure if Bosa will play against the Commanders, saying, “No, I don’t. Hoping he can go, but not able to practice today.” You love to see it for a rival, right? They want Bosa fully recovered before he comes back, which just means more time for them to struggle.
All these injuries on a rival team? It’s just a reminder of the grind of the NFL season. The 49ers are limping into their Week 6 matchup against the Washington Commanders. You’ve gotta wonder how much more their depth can take. As for our Hawks? Let’s just hope we stay healthy and can capitalize on our rivals’ struggles as the season rolls on. Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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