Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers activated Yetur Gross-Matos from the Injured Reserve list for tonight’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. We have not seen Gross-Matos in action since Week 5. The 49ers couldn’t have been more patient with Gross-Matos, as he recovered from a hamstring injury.
What will Gross-Matos’s availability look like tonight? He’s played 17, 17, 22, 20, and 11 snaps in five games this season. Where Gross-Matos can help out is in passing situations. During the previous month, Alfred Collins and Kalia Davis have been forced into more passing situations. Less is more with those two. They could also use a breather, which could make them more effective on the running downs.
The 49ers also activated cornerback Eli Apple from the practice squad, with Renardo Green set to miss Week 16 with a neck injury. The ripple effect is that Darrell Luter Jr. goes from playing a bunch of special teams to taking over for Green, while Apple probably covers kicks, if he sees the field at all.
The final practice squad activation is linebacker Eric Kendricks. You have to imagine that Kendricks did not come out of retirement to back up Tatum Bethune or sit on the sideline. Whether it’s on passing downs only, Robert Saleh will have a package for Kendricks. He could very well be the 49ers’ answer to Tyler Warren, or taking away passes over the middle of the field.
Kendricks in the lineup in any capacity with Bethune would mean Curtis Robinson returns to his special teams role. That is a win for everybody involved.
The Colts activated defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from the Injured Reserve. This will be Buckner’s first game since Week 9.
