A 49ers defensive line that’s been nearly impervious to injuries over the last two seasons has suffered a flurry of them in the last two games.
The latest occurred Sunday when Dee Ford, who already was dealing with a chronic knee issue, suffered a hamstring strain to his right leg on his sack of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in the second quarter. Ford walked off the field slowly at halftime and didn’t return to the game.
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“Any time you have a hamstring strain, yeah, there’s concern it could be a couple of weeks.” Kyle Shanahan said Monday.
Six days earlier, the 49ers lost another edge rusher, Ronald Blair, for the season with an ACL tear while nose tackle D.J. Jones suffered a groin strain that caused him to miss Sunday’s game. Shanahan said Jones’ progress would be monitored this week. He missed all three practices last week.
The 49ers filled Blair’s spot by signing free agent Damontre Moore, who had spent most of the offseason with them. Shanahan said the team could find someone outside the 53-man roster — practice squad defensive end Jeremiah Voloaga is a possibility — or it could fall to current defensive linemen to play more on the edge.
Solomon Thomas, who started Sunday’s game at defensive tackle, often lines up at defensive end. DeForest Buckner does, too, though less often than Thomas.
The 49ers also could activate Kentavius Street from injured reserve, though it didn’t appear as if that would happen quickly.
Earlier this month, Shanahan shut down the notion that receiver Trent Taylor, who recently has dealt with an infection in his surgically repaired foot, would return from injured reserve. On Monday, he was similarly pessimistic about third-round pick Jalen Hurd.
Shanahan said the prospect of Hurd returning to action has “not been looking good.” The rookie receiver has been dealing with a back injury since August, one that presumably occurred when he barreled through a pair of Cowboys defenders in the first preseason game. Hurd has not been available to the media since that game.
That means Street and cornerback Jason Verrett are the only realistic options to be brought back from injured reserve. The team can open a three-week practice window for either player beginning now.
“They’re getting healthy,” Shanahan said of the duo. “I think both are going to have an opportunity. It’s not something we need to do right now. But it definitely could be an option if we have any more injuries at either of those positions.”
Monday notes
• Shanahan said starting receivers Emmanuel Sanders (ribs) and Deebo Samuel (shoulder) are dealing with injuries this week. Samuel briefly left Sunday’s game but returned late. Sanders was visibly in pain and removed himself from the contest in the second half.
Said Shanahan of Sanders: “Hopefully he’ll be a little bit better this week but he’s in the same boat (he was in when) he started last week.”
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• Shanahan again declined to discuss the nature of tight end George Kittle’s knee and ankle issues. Kittle went through a light warmup with teammates before Sunday’s game but again watched the contest from the coaches’ booth so that he could keep weight off his injured leg.
“I know it will go down to the wire again this week, but I’m holding out hope this week could be different,” Shanahan said of the tight end’s availability against Green Bay.
• Shanahan said it’s not known yet how much running back Matt Breida (ankle) and kicker Robbie Gould (right quadriceps) will be able to practice this week. Gould has missed the last two games. Breida aggravated an existing ankle sprain against the Seahawks. At the time, Shanahan speculated the running back could miss “a couple” of weeks.
— Reported from Santa Clara
(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports)
