The 49ers held practice Saturday inside Levi’s Stadium, but did so without five players including three defensive linemen.
Health has mostly been on San Francisco’s side in the lead up to their first preseason game, but there were a couple of unsettling absences that cropped up from the session.
Here’s a rundown of who was out Saturday and what their unavailability means moving forward:
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Al-Shaair is working through a knee sprain he suffered during the second set of training camp practices. Although head coach Kyle Shanahan said it’s not a serious injury, there’s no timeline yet on his return. San Francisco is fairly thin at linebacker and Al-Shaair is the most experienced playing alongside Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. If he starts missing more than a couple weeks we could see a shakeup at Sam linebacker come Week 1.
(AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Pruitt’s been dealing with a calf injury since early in camp. The 49ers have added a couple tight ends since he went down which makes the room a little more crowded. He’s not going to make or break their TE depth, but his ability to add a little pass-catching to his blocking would make him a valuable asset if he’s healthy in time to carve out a roster spot.
DE Samson Ebukam
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There weren’t specifics on Ebukam’s absence. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner noted “lower body soreness” as the reason the defensive end was out. Perhaps it’s just extreme precaution from the team, but it’s very much worth keeping an eye on. They’re not deep at DE and Ebukam was an offseason addition they expect to contribute right away.
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After dealing with injuries early in his career, Armstead has been a beacon of health with zero games missed the last three years. Missing one practice isn’t a huge deal, but his absence was because of a groin issue. Those injuries can linger if the team isn’t careful. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Armstead sit a couple days until that ailment is fully healed. San Francisco’s needs Armstead’s versatility and pass rushing ability on the interior if their defense is going to reach its ceiling in 2021.
DL Javon Kinlaw
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Kinlaw got a routine maintenance day. He’s been dealing with a knee problem throughout camp. Getting him some additional rest and recovery is an easy call for the 49ers to make if it means he’s ready to go by Week 1.
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