SANTA CLARA – George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Christian McCaffrey have all scored multiple touchdowns in the 49ers’ recent visits to SoFi Stadium.
None might be in uniform for Sunday’s return.
Kittle is doubtful, Samuel is out, and McCaffrey will miss a third straight game with more to come, thus robbing the 49ers (1-1) of three offensive mainstays.
Kittle missed his second straight practice Friday because of lingering “soreness” that he initially reported Thursday morning, Shanahan said.
Over the prior three seasons, McCaffrey and Samuel each scored three touchdowns and Kittle two in their SoFi Stadium visits; the 49ers’ only other touchdowns have come from Jauan Jennings (two), Brandon Aiyuk and Brock Purdy, who comprise a trio that must lead Sunday’s aerial attack.
Since McCaffrey’s October 2022 arrival, Purdy has taken only 10 snaps without McCaffrey, Samuel and Kittle, and half of those snaps came upon relieving Jimmy Garoppolo in McCaffrey’s debut against Kansas City, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
Four days after losing in Minnesota, the 49ers added Kittle, Ward, and Bosa to the injury report, none of whom had previously disclosed ailments either right after the game or through Wednesday’s practice.
Bosa’s rib injury occurred in one-on-one drills Thursday, and although he’s been limited, he looked sharp in Friday’s warmups. Bosa has started all but one game since returning in 2021 from knee reconstruction; his lone absence came in a 2022 loss at Atlanta in which six defensive starters did not play.
Samuel has not practiced since Sunday’s late calf strain and is expected to miss two weeks. McCaffrey must miss at least three more games while on Injured Reserve, with the potential to sit out more until his Achilles tendinitis fades.
Sunday’s game starts at 1:25 p.m. at SoFi Stadium with it serving as the Rams’ home opener.
Kittle, an eighth-year veteran, has been sidelined for 17 games in his illustrious career, but never by a hamstring injury. Instead, ankle, knee, foot and calf issues hindered him before a groin issue kept him out the first two games of 2022. He missed the 2023 regular-season finale with other starters resting up for the playoffs, but a month later, he required core-muscle surgery on an issue that dated back to midseason.
Through Kittle’s four all-time appearances at SoFi Stadium, he’s yet to produce more than 39 yards, which he did in 2022 on three catches with one for a touchdown. Eric Saubert likely would start in place of Kittle and Jake Tonges should see more action after just two offensive snaps through two games. Tight ends Brayden Willis and Mason Pline are candidates to get elevated Saturday from the practice squad.
Ward has yet to miss a start since joining the 49ers in 2022.
MASON AMONG NFL ELITE
Jordan Mason followed up his 147-yard starting debut in the season opener with a 100-yard outing in Minnesota, giving him 247 yards that rank second in the NFL behind only the Chargers’ J.K. Dobbins (266 yards).
His 48 carries already surpassed his totals from each of the past two seasons, and they tied for the NFL’s most through two weeks with Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs.
General manager John Lynch insisted the 49ers’ rash of injuries cannot be an excuse, saying on KNBR 680-AM: “We have plenty of weapons. We have a very deep football team. We expect guys to step up when their number is called. J.P. Mason has been a tremendous illustration of that.”
Lynch added that Mason has always been trusted but simply was buried on the depth chart behind McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell his previous two seasons, when Mason still managed 5.6 yards over 83 carries as an undrafted player out of Georgia Tech. His only fumble in 138 career touches came in Sunday’s second-quarter, and he recovered it himself.
Chris Foerster, the 49ers’ run-game coordinator and offensive line coach, said Mason was like any young back who initially lacked patience for the 49ers’ outside-zone blocks, with an obvious clue about that. “You can see their helmet stripe. When we watch the all-22 film, as soon as they get the ball, if they (turn their head), not if you’re running an outside zone, they’re looking too soon. You got to press and then that hole will appear. “But if you see that helmet stripe, go there, nine times out of 10, they don’t go press where they should. And all of a sudden, we can’t get to that second level of defenders to block again.”
Mason ran for 258 yards as a rookie, powered by 51-, 56- and 64-yard totals as Purdy took over at quarterback. Of Mason’s 207 yards last season, 69 came in a Week 5 rout of Dallas.
JIMMY G REUNION
Jimmy Garoppolo will suit up for yet another 49ers-Rams contest, only this will be his debut in a Rams’ jersey after serving a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Garoppolo went 8-0 against the Rams as the 49ers’ starter in his 2017-22 tenure, including five road wins and excluding the 2021 season’s NFC Championship Game loss at SoFi Stadium, where 49ers fans annually fill most of the seats in this rivalry.
“It’s weird. Being on this side of it, we’ve got to deal with the noise a little bit, just being honest,” Garoppolo told the Los Angeles Times. “But we’ll see what happens Sunday. Rams nation came out pretty good in the preseason, so hopefully for the home opener it will be a good crowd.”
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Garoppolo was 38-17 in 49ers’ regular-season starts (4-2 in the playoffs) before moving on last season to the Raiders, where he went 3-3 before getting benched. As for potential relief duty Sunday, Garoppolo added: “It would be cool, but (Matthew Stafford’s) got it right now. So I think we’re in good hands. Staff’s been ballin’, man.”
EXTRA POINTS
Earning scout-team player-of-the-week honors were running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, linebacker DeShaun White and offensive tackle Isaac Alarcon.