The 49ers and Packers play on Monday night, and both sides have injury issues with their wide receivers. Some second-stringers may have to take the field.
For Green Bay, both Geronimo Allison and Randall Cobb are questionable. Both were limited in practice on Thursday and Friday. The team says they would have been limited today, but the team didn’t actually hold a full-blown practice. Earlier in the week, I saw an article suggesting Cobb was going to play.
Reading the tea leaves, I would expect that both Allison and Cobb will be active and in their usual starting roles, but there’s some risk in going that route. If either one of the starters is declared inactive, you don’t have the safety net of an early Sunday game, where you can just plug in somebody else. Marquez Valdes-Scantling would fill in (and grade out as a decent Week 6 option) if either is sidelined.
Also for the Packers, right tackle Bryan Bulaga (knee) is questionable. The team didn’t mention him when it submitted its initial report on Thursday. He was limited on Friday.
For the 49ers, they have ruled out backup Dante Pettis (knee) again, and slot receiver Trent Taylor looks very unlikely. Taylor (back) is listed as doubtful, but he didn’t practice all week. Looks like some of their deeper backups – Kendrick Bourne or Richie James - will need to play more than usual. One of them might even need to start. Pierre Garcon (shoulder/knee) is questionable and didn’t practice at all on Thursday or Friday (he put in a limited workout today).
Bourne has caught 2 TDs – the most unlikely team leader in the league right now.
San Francisco also lists tight end George Kittle (knee) as questionable, but he was at least a limited participant in practice all week. I expect Kittle will play.
To me, all of these pass-catcher injuries mean that nobody should be thinking about trying to sneak by with C.J. Beathard as a Week 6 fill-in quarterback. Beathard has finished with very good stats in his first two starts – 673 run-pass yards, with 5 TDs – but he could make a quick move down into the bottom 10.
The 49ers also list Matt Breida (ankle) as questionable, but it would probably be more accurate to call him doubtful. He didn’t practice at all on Thursday or Friday and was limited today. I don’t think he’ll be active, and if he is, I wouldn’t expect him to play much – it’s Alfred Morris’ gig this week.
San Francisco also lists two offensive line starters as questionable, but both should play. They’ve been limited participants in practice the last two days: Weston Richburgh (knee) and Joe Staley.
—Ian Allan
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS at GREEN BAY PACKERS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
OUT: WR Dante Pettis (knee)
DOUBTFUL: WR Trent Taylor (back)
QUESTIONABLE: RB Matt Breida (shoulder, ankle), WR Pierre Garcon (shoulder, knee), TE George Kittle (knee), G Mike Person (knee), C Weston Richburg (knee), T Joe Staley (knee), CB K'Waun Williams (illness)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday: RB Matt Breida (shoulder, ankle), WR Pierre Garcon (shoulder, knee), G Mike Person (knee), WR Dante Pettis (knee), C Weston Richburg (knee), T Joe Staley (knee), WR Trent Taylor (back)
Friday: RB Matt Breida (shoulder, ankle), WR Pierre Garcon (shoulder, knee), WR Dante Pettis (knee), WR Trent Taylor (back)
Saturday: WR Dante Pettis (knee), WR Trent Taylor (back), CB K'Waun Williams (illness)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: TE Garrett Celek (quadricep), LB Reuben Foster (shoulder), TE George Kittle (knee), CB Richard Sherman (calf), CB Jimmie Ward (hamstring)
Friday: LB Reuben Foster (shoulder), TE George Kittle (knee), G Mike Person (knee), C Weston Richburg (knee), CB Richard Sherman (calf), T Joe Staley (knee)
Saturday: RB Matt Breida (shoulder, ankle), WR Pierre Garcon (shoulder, knee), TE George Kittle (knee), G Mike Person (knee), C Weston Richburg (knee), T Joe Staley (knee)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: G Joshua Garnett (toe), WR Marquise Goodwin (hamstring, quadricep), T Mike McGlinchey (knee), S Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder)
Friday: TE Garrett Celek (quadricep), G Joshua Garnett (toe), WR Marquise Goodwin (hamstring, quadricep), T Mike McGlinchey (knee), S Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder), CB Jimmie Ward (hamstring)
Saturday: TE Garrett Celek (quadricep), LB Reuben Foster (shoulder), G Joshua Garnett (toe), WR Marquise Goodwin (hamstring, quadricep), T Mike McGlinchey (knee), CB Richard Sherman (calf), S Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder), CB Jimmie Ward (hamstring)
GREEN BAY PACKERS
(Green Bay did not conduct a practice on Saturday. The Saturday practice report is an estimation.)
QUESTIONABLE: CB Jaire Alexander (groin), WR Geronimo Allison (hamstring), CB Bashaud Breeland (hamstring), T Bryan Bulaga (knee), WR Randall Cobb (hamstring), G Justin McCray (shoulder), T Jason Spriggs (ankle), S Jermaine Whitehead (back)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday: TE Jimmy Graham (knee), QB Aaron Rodgers (knee)
Saturday: T Jason Spriggs (ankle)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: CB Jaire Alexander (groin), WR Geronimo Allison (hamstring), CB Bashaud Breeland (hamstring), S Kentrell Brice (ankle), WR Randall Cobb (hamstring), G Justin McCray (shoulder), LB Nick Perry (ankle), S Jermaine Whitehead (back)
Friday: CB Jaire Alexander (groin), WR Geronimo Allison (hamstring), CB Bashaud Breeland (hamstring), S Kentrell Brice (ankle), T Bryan Bulaga (knee), WR Randall Cobb (hamstring), LB Nick Perry (ankle), T Jason Spriggs (ankle), S Jermaine Whitehead (back)
Saturday: CB Jaire Alexander (groin), WR Geronimo Allison (hamstring), CB Bashaud Breeland (hamstring), T Bryan Bulaga (knee), WR Randall Cobb (hamstring), LB Nick Perry (ankle), S Jermaine Whitehead (back)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: CB Kevin King (chin)
Friday: TE Jimmy Graham (knee), CB Kevin King (chin), G Justin McCray (shoulder), QB Aaron Rodgers (knee)
Saturday: S Kentrell Brice (ankle), TE Jimmy Graham (knee), CB Kevin King (chin), G Justin McCray (shoulder), QB Aaron Rodgers (knee)