NFL: San Francisco 49ers get key players back from COVID-19 list
After falling below .500 with an uninspiring loss to the Green Bay Packers on "Thursday Night Football," the San Francisco 49ers are getting four key offensive players back in the lineup from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne, and offensive tackle Trent Williams, have all been cleared to return and should be able to help the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 when they face the New Orleans Saints.
The 49ers have been ravaged by injuries all season. After making it all the way to the Super Bowl last season and coming one quarter away from winning the whole thing, this season has been a nightmare.
Starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is going to miss the next 6-8 weeks with a high ankle sprain. All-Pro tight end George Kittle will also miss 6-8 weeks with a broken bone in his foot. Defensive end Nick Bosa, who 2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and starting defensive tackle Solomon Thomas both have torn ACL's and will miss the rest of this season. Future Hall of Fame cornerback Richard Sherman will be out for a few more weeks with a calf injury. Starting running back Raheem Mostert has missed time with an ankle injury and could come back against the Saints next week.
San Francisco 49ers get three of their top pass-catchers back
Rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne are second and third on the San Francisco 49ers in receptions this season behind Kittle. Deebo Samuel ranks fifth on the team in receptions and he's also a versatile threat who can run the ball and return kicks. Samuel's value to the team isn't always measured in stats, but in how much opposing defenses have to game-plan for him.
Samuel has missed games with a hamstring injury, but then landed on the COVID list alongside Aiyuk due to having close contact with Bourne, who tested positive for the virus.
Trent Williams is a seven-time Pro Bowl lineman whose contribution also goes beyond stats.
Having three of their top playmakers and the man who protects the quarterback's blindside back is huge for the 49ers, especially going into a game against the Saints, who are one of the league's most talented teams.
On Thursday, the short-handed San Francisco 49ers were simply overmatched against the Packers. Backup-QB-turned-starter Nick Mullens connected with little-known receiver Richie James for nine completions, 184 yards and a touchdown, but those were fairly empty stats in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the 34-17 final score indicated.