Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams could be the 49ers’ final home game of the 2019 season. An almost outlandish thought when they were the last undefeated team in the NFL, the 49ers will at least need to beat the Seahawks to win the NFC West title, and beat both the Rams and Seahawks to ensure they retain home field advantage in the playoffs (though a win over the Seahawks and losses from the Packers and Saints would also ensure that). They will have Richard Sherman and K’Waun Williams back to aid in their pursuit of the No. 1 seed after both practiced in full each day this week.
Jullian Taylor back at practice
For the first time since suffering an elbow ligament injury against the Baltimore Ravens on December 1, Jullian Taylor was back in pads at 49ers practice, wearing an elbow brace as he has over the past couple weeks. In recent days, he’d been limited to doing sideline conditioning work. Taylor told KNBR on Wednesday that he was happy with the progress he’d make this week on the injury (sustained in trying to tackle Lamar Jackson on the third-to-last defensive play of the game) and was targeting next week to return.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he’s hoping that’s the case.
“I hope so,” Shanahan said. “You never know for sure because he’s not going this week, but I’m hoping he’s ready next week.”
The 49ers are in desperate need of defensive line help, operating with just seven players at the moment, after Ronald Blair III, Damontre Moore and D.J. Jones all suffered season-ending injuries, and Dee Ford is not expected to return until the playoffs with a hamstring injury.
Roger Craig gets his Hall of Fame chance
The three-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro Roger Craig, who ran for 8,189 yards (No. 44 all time) and 56 touchdowns (No. 56 all time) in his career as a fullback and tailback, and was the first NFL player to run and receive for 1,000 yards in the same season, is not in the NFL’s Hall of Fame. Craig’s last eligibility expired in 2018, leaving him confused at the snub.
But Craig now has one last chance, and will have a 50/50 shot at being inducted into the Hall of Fame, thanks to the NFL’s centennial season. The NFL announced on Thursday that Craig is one of 20 NFL “seniors” (who played more than 25 years ago) who will get another shot at induction as the NFL’s centennial Hall of Fame class.
In addition to that group, there are eight coaches (two will be inducted), 10 contributors (non-coaches or players, three of whom will be inducted) and 15 modern-era players (five will be inducted), who are up for induction, with the seniors group obviously with the best odds.
Other notes: A Chad Johnson sighting, Mike Person’s status, and a young Shanahan imitating Deion Sanders
- Chad Johnson visited the 49ers’ facility on Thursday to film an episode of The Grind with Emmanuel Sanders. During the 49ers’ practice session, he met up with former New England Patriots teammate Wes Welker, who is the 49ers’ wide receivers coach. Johnson said on Twitter that he was excited to meet rookie wide receiver Deebo Samuel, and Samuel confirmed to KNBR that he was going to chat with Johnson later in the day.
Chad Johnson and Wes Welker meet up at #49ers practice – they were teammates in New England for Johnson’s final season in 2011 https://t.co/C2zaAQVnHT pic.twitter.com/1XmwlAroYY
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) December 19, 2019
- Mike Person is listed as questionable for the 49ers’ game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday with a neck issue. He has practiced every day this week, but if he’s unable to go, Shanahan indicated that the team would “most likely lean towards” Daniel Brunskill taking his place at right guard.
- Shanahan, by the way, was asked about his days as a 49ers ball boy, which happened in 1994, when his father, Mike Shanahan, was the 49ers’ offensive coordinator. Kyle said he was focused more on imitating Deion Sanders than he was on the playbook:
“Then, I wasn’t really thinking much about plays. I was trying to dress like [former NFL DB] Deion [Sanders] and lay all my clothes out before the game just like him and [former NFL WR] Jerry [Rice] would. I was trying to figure out what wristbands they were wearing, things like that. I was much more into trying to be a player at that time.”