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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers may be without their three best offensive players and possibly their two best defenders on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
After missing practice on Thursday and Friday, tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is officially listed as doubtful for Sunday. If Kittle doesn’t play against the Rams, he will join running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles tendinitis) and receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) as key offensive options.
On the other side of the ball, defensive end Nick Bosa and cornerback Charvarius Ward, the Niners’ top two defenders, are listed as questionable. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Bosa suffered a rib injury during one-on-one time Thursday and was limited in practice and again Friday.
Ward also missed Thursday’s practice with hamstring and knee soreness, but he participated in Friday’s practice on a limited basis. Kittle and Ward were surprise additions to the injury report on Thursday after a full practice session on Wednesday.
“(Kittle) and Charvarius, they were sore after practice (Wednesday), as were some guys,” Shanahan said. “He came in Thursday morning and he’s still sick. And now with Kittle. That’s a mess.”
In better injury news for the Niners, safety Talanoa Hufanga is cleared to return after recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee. Hufanga was listed as questionable for the first two weeks when he returned to the mix but did not feature against the Rams and is good to go.
Shanahan said Hufanga is prepared for the game, and how much he plays will be based on how it goes series by series. That means George Odum and/or Malik Mustapha could get some work opposite Ji’Ayir Brown at safety.
Still, Hufanga is happy to return after a long rehabilitation that has been completed which is best to see as positive both personally and professionally.
“For me, it’s an opportunity to be around my family,” Hufanga said. “It’s an opportunity to dive into the playbook, dive into the film room. So, I never thought of it as a bad process. So, when I look at it, there are a lot of positives from it versus negatives and I think a lot of people can get caught up in the negatives and it will affect healing for sure… I’m just so happy to be back.”
Meanwhile, Kittle made it through last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings despite needing an IV at one point. If he can’t play against the Rams, the Niners will look to veteran Eric Saubert to start in his place.
“I thought he did a really good job,” Shanahan said. “He has stopped well. Kittle cramping most of the game so (Saubert) has to do a lot throughout the Minnesota game and he has been real consistent since he has been here. If he has to do everything, it is up for the challenge.”
Jake Tonges is the only tight end on the active roster, though Brayden Willis and Mason Pline offer practice squad options that could improve depth.
The Niners have rarely played without McCaffrey, Samuel and Kittle since McCaffrey arrived via trade in 2022. Quarterback Brock Purdy has only 10 plays in 33 games without McCaffrey, Samuel and Kittle on the field. He went 3-of-7 for 49 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in that game, though half of those came on mop-up duty against the Chiefs in 2022 before Purdy became the starter.
On Thursday, Purdy was quick to note that even if Kittle is out, the Niners still have plenty of options, including receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings and running back Jordan Mason.
“Obviously not having a guy,” Purdy said. “It’s like, ‘Okay, how do we get the ball to the other guy?’ We have a playmaker that I told you before, we have a good scheme, good players and some good players who can do my job well from my reading and my progressions, more than I have to now change the way I think and make sure that I take it for people this or someone because a couple of people are out.
“This is a challenge for me, how can I continue to be better with progressions and as a quarterback and handle the situation, be efficient as I can regardless of who is in. That’s where my mind is in this game. And obviously, I’m happy to have the guys back and play with them, but it’s just like this game sometimes.”
