49ers Face Injury Crisis Ahead of Falcons Matchup

Clear Facts

• The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a wave of injuries heading into Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
• Head coach Kyle Shanahan stated the team may have fewer than the maximum 48 players available for the contest.
• Veteran receiver Christian Kirk is expected to make his season debut in the matchup.

The 49ers are preparing for a Sunday contest against the Atlanta Falcons with a lengthy list of unavailable players. Several key contributors will not be on the field due to injuries.

Receiver Mike Evans is dealing with a sore Achilles while defensive end Nick Bosa has a calf injury. The team is also without Ricky Pearsall, Deebo Samuel Sr., De’Zhaun Stribling, and Demarcus Robinson in the receiving corps.

Safety Marques Sigle and linebackers Garret Wallow and Luke Gifford have also been ruled out for the game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged the depth issues facing the roster.

“I don’t think ever in my career [has that happened],” he said. “It’s a unique situation.”

The team has discussed the possibility of moving players to positions outside their usual roles to address the gaps. Elevating players from the practice squad is not expected to bring the roster up to the standard 48-player limit.

Veteran receiver Christian Kirk is set to make his season debut Sunday after recovering from injured reserve. His addition provides some relief for the thinned-out receiving group.

Nick Bosa has not played since Week 2. Shanahan indicated Bosa may have been overly optimistic about returning to the lineup in recent weeks.

“He doesn’t say stuff like that unless it’s accurate. I just think it surprised him. He worked out after he said that to you guys and the next day was just a little sore, which surprised all of us, and that wasn’t a great sign, especially going to playing turf and stuff this week.”

San Francisco will head into its bye week after facing the Falcons on Sunday.

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