49ers make blunt admission about injured players returning to the lineup

The campaign so far by the San Francisco 49ers has exceeded all expectations, especially considering the large number of injuries that have plagued the Bay Area team. Kyle Shanahan has faced several headaches over this issue in recent weeks, and he wants his players to be at 100% ahead of their returns.

Ricky Pearsall has been absent from both games and practices since Week 4 due to a knee injury, meaning the coach has been unable to rely on this key offensive player for a significant portion of the regular season.

When asked by the press about his situation, which will also keep him out of the next game, Shanahan was clear that players will not return to action until they feel at full physical capacity, in order to avoid aggravating their injuries.

“[He] can’t play football,” Shanahan told the reporters on Friday. “[He] can shoot hoops … which so can any of us in here. And he can run, and he can hit certain speeds, but he hasn’t been able to hit his normal speeds that would allow him to come back.

Ricky Pearsall #1 of the San Francisco 49ers.

“We don’t let people come back until they can hit their normal speeds before they got hurt, or it makes them susceptible to injury again, so we’re just waiting until he hits those markers.”

Injuries: The common denominator

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The San Francisco 49ers have seen their season derailed by a punishing string of injuries to their most crucial players, significantly testing their depth. On the offensive side, the health of quarterback Brock Purdy (turf toe) and wideout Ricky Pearsall (knee) remains a major question mark, forcing Mac Jones into a starting role and limiting the passing attack’s upside.

The defensive unit has suffered even harder, most notably with All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner going down with a devastating, season-ending ankle injury that leaves a massive hole in the middle of their defense.

Even star tight end George Kittle has missed significant time this year. This relentless attrition has forced San Francisco to rely heavily on its backups to stay in the thick of the NFC playoff race.