Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers’ injury report was on the lighter side on Wednesday. Edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and wide receiver Jordan Watkins (ankle) were the only two players who didn’t participate. Those two were back at practice on Thursday. According to reporters who were on hand, every player on the 49ers’ active 53-man roster was on the field in uniform and practicing in some capacity while the media was allowed to watch.
Watkins being able to practice should be viewed as a significant development. We hadn’t received any updates about the 49ers’ fourth-round rookie in quite some time. He’s been sidelined since August 11 with the dreaded high-ankle sprain:
That does not look like a player who is moving gingerly or playing it safe while nursing an injury. Even if Watkins can’t go this Sunday — it is his first practice in nearly a month — it’s a sign that he’s closer to returning than missing another game. Watkins is a significant upgrade over Skyy Moore, Russell Gage, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. We saw Watkins’ explosiveness early on in the preseason.
Knowing that Kyle Shanahan likes his players to get a whole week of practice under their belt before playing in a game, I wouldn’t expect to see Watkins, Gross-Matos, or rookie running back Jordan James active Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
