SANTA CLARA — The 49ers knew they would be without Brock Purdy and George Kittle.
Now the status of left tackle Trent Williams is up in the air as the 49ers depart their Week 2 road assignment in New Orleans.
Williams and Jauan Jennings were officially listed as questionable by coach Kyle Shanahan.
The 49ers’ backup left tackle in a difficult indoor environment is Spencer Burford, whose 29 previous NFL starts have all been at guard. Burford did play 31 snaps last season at left tackle in Week 15 against Miami after Jaylon Moore, Williams’ former backup departed with a quadriceps injury.
Williams wasn’t practicing with his position group Friday during a brief media window, working off to the side with a trainer, though Shanahan did say that he eventually took the field for the light practice. He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. The 11-time Pro Bowl selection left a 17-13 win over Seattle in the opener for one snap but finished the game, although he appeared to be less than 100 percent given the pressure that was allowed on his side.
Since Williams arrived in 2020, the 49ers are 4-12 in games he has missed due to injury. Combine that with the 7-12 record they have without tight end George Kittle, who is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, and they’re without two key cogs on their offense. That’s a big hit when it comes to physicality, and that’s beyond the absence of Purdy with a toe injury.
Last season, Williams was limited to 10 games due to an ankle injury. He hasn’t played a full season since 2013 when he played all 16 games for Washington.
Jennings (shoulder) was practicing and at one point dunked the football over the crossbar after catching a pass during warmups.