The 49ers will likely have one their top stars available on Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a number of major injuries this week, with several stars out against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in what could be considered close to a must-win game.
Quarterback Brock Purdy won’t play after he suffered a shoulder injury last week, with the pain clearly lingering into this week, as the star didn’t practice before being ruled out.
The issue is significant as the 49ers will now go into a crucial game against the 7-3 Packers with Brandon Allen at quarterback. Josh Dobbs will back up the veteran, while the team elected not to elevate a third quarterback.
Elsewhere, defensive end Nick Bosa will miss his first game this season with a hip and oblique injury. Bosa had been battling the issue for a while, playing through the injury last Sunday and acknowledging there was serious doubt about this weekend’s game after dealing with the pain.
Bosa’s loss is almost as significant, as he’s been a key part of the team’s pass rush and run defense on the edge. With him out, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen will have to find other ways to create pressure, potentially involving more blitzes to combat the rush struggles.
Otherwise, cornerback Charvarius Ward and offensive lineman Jon Feliciano are both out. The ramp-up after a few weeks off was too quick for Ward, with the team erring on the side of caution. As for Feliciano, he’ll get another week to rehab before likely coming off Injured Reserve.
One player who is expected to play, however, is left tackle Trent Williams. Williams has been dealing with an ankle issue over the last two weeks and hasn’t practiced ahead of either game. He was able to play through the injury against the Seahawks and is primed to do that again on Sunday versus the Packers as long as a pregame warmup goes well, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Already without their starting quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers are optimistic that star left tackle Trent Williams will be able to play Sunday at the Green Bay Packers,” a source told Schefter.
“San Francisco, however, needs to see how Williams’ injured ankle feels in pregame warmups to make sure he will be able to go.”
Williams would be a big boost to an offense already dealing with a major quarterback injury, although he likely won’t be at 100 percent for the second consecutive week.
The 49ers and Packers will kick off at 1:25 p.m. at Lambeau Field, with San Francisco needing a win to improve above .500 and remain as a part of a loaded playoff picture.