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October 17, 2026
49ers Notebook

Bosa is out Monday, which Shanahan says is what the 49ers expected

Deebo Samuel, Garret Wallow and Marques Sigle are also out against Washington. Mike Evans and Christian Kirk are questionable, and Kyle Juszczyk is \"full-go.\"

SK
Sam KezarOct 17, 20263 min read
Every call on this site goes on a public ledger and gets graded. The misses stay up.
Nick Bosa, in the 49ers' red home jersey with the captain's C and gold pants, walks toward the line against Miami at Levi's Stadium, teammates in red watching from the sideline behind him.

Nick Bosa will miss a fourth straight game. Kyle Shanahan ruled him out for Monday night against Washington after Saturday's practice, along with Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Garret Wallow (hamstring) and Marques Sigle (ankle), according to the status report the club published Saturday afternoon. Bosa is listed with a knee and a calf.

Shanahan on Bosa. Bosa had been optimistic about playing. "We would have been pleasantly surprised if he could go this [week]," Shanahan said, as transcribed by David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. "This was kind of what we were expecting." He added that Bosa "wasn't wrong" to think there was a chance, and that "another week will help." Bosa did not practice Thursday or Friday, by the club's injury report.

Six questionable. Mike Evans (ribs, Achilles), Christian Kirk (calf), Gracen Halton (quad), Mykel Williams (knee), Upton Stout (shoulder) and Siran Neal (neck). Halton missed Thursday and Friday and was limited Saturday, the club said. Williams, Stout and Neal were limited all three days.

Evans did not practice this week. He has played through the rib injury since Week 3 and added Achilles soreness this week, Bonilla reported; he worked on the side Friday and Saturday. Shanahan said the club would know more Monday. Evans had 113 receiving yards at Seattle.

Kirk, "Possibly." That was Shanahan's whole answer, per the club's account, when asked whether Kirk will be activated off injured reserve for Monday. Kirk was limited Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the first three practices of his window. The 53 is full, so activating him takes a corresponding move.

The receivers without Samuel. Samuel is out but not on injured reserve. At Seattle, Jacob Cowing played 26 of the 60 offensive snaps, Brandin Cooks 24 and Jordan Watkins 22, by the game book. Cowing practiced in full all week with an ankle listed.

Juszczyk is back. Shanahan called him "full-go." He hyperextended his knee and bruised the bone against Denver on Oct. 4 and missed Seattle. "It looked bad at the beginning, and then they said they thought it would be three weeks," Shanahan said. "And Juice has always been fast every time he's ever been hurt, but this was real impressive."

Why Williams is questionable. He appeared to come through Seattle without a problem, and Shanahan was asked why. "Anybody we have any question about is questionable," Shanahan said, per Bonilla.

Linebacker. Wallow is out and Dre Greenlaw is serving his one-game suspension, which leaves Fred Warner, Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford and Jaden Dugger on the 53.

Washington's lead back is out. Dan Quinn ruled out Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin), who leads the Commanders with 239 rushing yards, John Keim of ESPN reported. Washington turns to Rachaad White (shoulder) and Austin Ekeler (chest), both limited in practice.

No designation. James Thompson Jr. (ankle) went from no practice Thursday to limited Friday to full Saturday. Colton McKivitz (illness) and Carver Willis (toe) were full Saturday. Romello Height (hand, illness) was limited Saturday after missing Friday. Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams were full Friday and Saturday after rest days Thursday.

Kaelon Black missed Saturday's practice. "He's having a baby right now," Shanahan said, and Black is expected to play Monday.

Valdez stayed. Sebastian Valdez told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area that he turned down an offer to leave the practice squad for Pittsburgh's active roster last season. He has played 90 defensive snaps in the past three games, Maiocco wrote. "We were so scared we were going to lose him," Shanahan said on NBC Sports Bay Area's "49ers Game Plan." "Fortunately, we didn't lose him."

Mustapha fined. The league fined Malik Mustapha $6,998 for a hit on Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 1:13 left at Seattle, a play that drew no flag, Maiocco reported. Maiocco expects him to appeal.

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Juszczyk practiced in full, and Lynch says there is a chance he plays Monday
49ers Notebook

Juszczyk practiced in full, and Lynch says there is a chance he plays Monday

Kyle Juszczyk was a full participant in Friday's practice, 12 days after a hyperextended knee and bone bruise, and John Lynch told KNBR there is a chance he plays Washington on Monday. Christian Kirk was limited; activating him would cost someone a spot on a full 53. Nick Bosa, now listed with knee and calf, did not practice, nor did Mike Evans, Gracen Halton or Romello Height. Lynch said trade calls have picked up and that George Kittle asked him about Khalil Mack. Kittle said he asks all the time.

Sam KezarOct 16, 20263 min read
Christian Kirk returned to practice the day Mike Evans sat out
49ers Notebook

Christian Kirk returned to practice the day Mike Evans sat out

The 49ers opened Christian Kirk's 21-day practice window on Thursday, 81 days after he strained a calf on the first day of training camp, and Kyle Shanahan said he was ready to go after a strong weekend. Mike Evans did not practice with ribs and Achilles soreness, which leaves the receiver room thinner than Monday's count. Shanahan called injured reserve for Deebo Samuel 'a possibility.' Nick Bosa, James Thompson Jr. and Gracen Halton sat out Thursday; Kyle Juszczyk was limited. The club promoted Ogbo Okoronkwo to the 53 into the spot Greenlaw's suspension opened and signed linebacker Eugene Asante to the practice squad. Washington is at Levi's Stadium on Monday night.

Sam KezarOct 15, 20263 min read
Seattle's turnovers made 21 points, and the 49ers still needed the last kick
Takeaways

Seattle's turnovers made 21 points, and the 49ers still needed the last kick

The 49ers beat Seattle 32-29 on Sunday to go 5-0. Seattle turned the ball over four times and the 49ers scored 21 points off them, including Gracen Halton's fumble return touchdown. Renardo Green intercepted two passes. Dre Greenlaw was ejected for head-butting Ernest Jones IV on Seattle's sideline, and rookie Jaden Dugger played 47 of 63 defensive snaps. Mike Evans caught seven passes for 113 yards. Brock Purdy was sacked three times, the first sacks he has taken this season. Deebo Samuel left with a hamstring injury.

Sam KezarOct 12, 20265 min read

More on Kyle Juszczyk

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Deebo Samuel will miss some time, leaving the 49ers four available receivers
49ers Notebook

Deebo Samuel will miss some time, leaving the 49ers four available receivers

Kyle Shanahan said on a conference call Monday that Deebo Samuel's hamstring \"got him pretty good\" and he will miss some time, so the 49ers will most likely activate a practice-squad receiver for Washington next Monday night. The NFL suspended Dre Greenlaw one game without pay for head-butting Seattle's Ernest Jones IV; his appeal is heard Tuesday, and his 2025 appeal of a one-game suspension was denied. Garret Wallow strained a hamstring and is out at least a couple of weeks, which leaves four linebackers. Nick Bosa, Kyle Juszczyk and James Thompson Jr. have a chance for Week 6, and Nick Martin is getting close.

Sam KezarOct 12, 20264 min read
Seattle has not let the 49ers score a touchdown since last season's opener
Game Week

Seattle has not let the 49ers score a touchdown since last season's opener

San Francisco (4-0) plays at Seattle (3-1) at 1:25 p.m. Pacific on FOX. The 49ers scored three field goals and no touchdowns in last season's two losses to the Seahawks, 13-3 in Week 18 and 41-6 in the divisional round. Brock Purdy has not been sacked this season. Nick Bosa, James Thompson Jr., Kyle Juszczyk and Marques Sigle are out; Upton Stout is questionable; Mykel Williams makes his season debut. Ten men to watch.

Sam KezarOct 11, 20264 min read
Mykel Williams is back, and Matthew Judon paid for it
49ers Notebook

Mykel Williams is back, and Matthew Judon paid for it

The 49ers activated Mykel Williams off the physically unable to perform list on Saturday and removed his questionable tag for Sunday at Seattle. Ogbo Okoronkwo, released Friday to open the roster spot, signed back to the practice squad and was elevated for the game along with tight end Jack Stoll. Matthew Judon was released from the practice squad to make room, per NBC Sports. Nick Bosa, James Thompson Jr., Kyle Juszczyk and Marques Sigle are out; Upton Stout is questionable.

Sam KezarOct 10, 20263 min read

On the record

Called Shots →
OpenJul 31, 2026

Between the 49ers' first regular-season game and 2026-11-01, Deebo Samuel runs more pass routes from the slot than from out wide. Method, fixed in advance: alignment splits as published for Samuel over that span, slot routes against wide routes, backfield routes excluded from both sides. Ties resolve as FALSE. The comparison is his own two figures, so no league-wide source is needed to score it.

The call is on the ROLE the money implies, not on production. His 2025 usage in Washington was 260 slot routes against 141 out wide and 15 from the backfield, out of 416, at 5.3 average air yards per target across 99 targets, with 67 of those 99 inside ten yards. Niners Nation projects him to the slot with Stribling at Z and Mike Evans at X. A one-year agreement whose value the player's own agent describes as a ceiling is a continuity buy, and a continuity buy uses the player it just watched rather than the one from 2021. If he instead lines up mostly wide, the read in the piece is wrong and the team bought something closer to the older version.

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49ers Notebook

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Kyle Shanahan said the injuries on his defensive line had him hoping to survive until the second half of the season. Through five games the 49ers have allowed 93 points, 18.6 a game, and only Minnesota and Kansas City have allowed fewer per game. Bosa is out Monday against Washington, Halton and Mykel Williams are questionable, Malik Mustapha starts again for Marques Sigle, and Brock Purdy is five attempts from qualifying for the career passer-rating list.

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San Francisco has five wide receivers on its 53-man roster for Sunday against Denver: Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel Sr., KhaDarel Hodge, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins. Evans left the Arizona game with a rib injury that Shanahan called not long-term. Samuel played 41 of 54 offensive snaps on Sunday, Hodge played 30 and has no official target, and Cowing has 46 snaps and no catch this season. Brandin Cooks is on the practice squad and was not elevated for Arizona. Christian Kirk cannot play before Week 5.

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