The San Francisco 49ers have snuck up on the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks late in the season and now have a chance to beat Seattle this weekend to claim the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
NFL insider Ian Rapaport delivered updates on two impact 49ers players who are both questionable heading into Saturday’s matchup.
George Kittle missed last Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears with an ankle injury. He practiced in a limited capacity in each of the Niners’ three practices this week, but that limited tag doesn’t seem to be deterring the player from expecting to play this weekend.
“Kittle said he absolutely expects to play, but the fact that he hasn’t been listed as a full participant is something that gives at least a little bit of pause,” Rapaport said. “Obviously this is a big game, the 49ers want to win, but the playoffs are bigger so we’ll see what coaching decision the 49ers make for George Kittle’s health, short-term and long-term.”
There may be a little bit of a disconnect between Kittle and San Fran’s coaching staff, who may not want Kittle to risk further injury when they’ve already locked up a playoff spot.
Kittle and Williams Both Battling to Play Against Seattle
As far as Trent Williams goes, his status is a little less ambiguous, as he didn’t practice at all this week.
“[Williams] is officially listed as questionable, but he hasn’t practiced at all this week as he’s dealing with a hamstring injury,” Rapaport said. “Hard to imagine he’s out there with no practice on a short week. To me, I’m not expecting the big man to be out there.”
Keeping Williams out would certainly be the smart move from the 49ers coaching staff. He’s one of the most valuable O-linemen in the NFL, and a hamstring can flare up anytime, especially without proper recovery. He’ll need to play a massive role if the Niners want to make a deep playoff run, so it would be a surprise if he is on the field this weekend.
Williams hasn’t missed a game yet this season.
Seattle Favored on the Road at San Francisco
Despite the 49ers playing host to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night, they’ll be 1.5 point underdogs against their division rival. Both teams enter the game riding six game winning streaks.
It’s a battle of two contenders for the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in the 49ers Christian McCaffrey and the Seahawks Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
JSN has the best odds to win the award, as he’s had a spectacular season, catching 113 passes for 1,709 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s been a huge reason that Sam Darnold has been able to continue his career revival in Seattle this season.
Meanwhile, CMC has over 2,000 yards from scrimmage for the third time in his career. McCaffrey has 17 total touchdowns and has carried the 49ers offense while they’ve missed players like Kittle and Jauan Jennings for extended periods.
Kickoff in San Francisco is set for 8 p.m. on Saturday night.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post 49ers Get Update on George Kittle & Trent Williams Injuries Before Seahawks Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.