Greenlaw's suspension is over, and Kirk still needs a roster spot
The 49ers released Naquan Jones the same afternoon, and Greenlaw fills the 53 once he is activated. Mike Evans has Achilles tendinitis, and Shanahan named the bye as the fallback.
The league lifted Dre Greenlaw's one-game suspension on Tuesday and placed him on a roster exemption, per its transaction wire, which keeps him off the count until the 49ers activate him. The club released defensive tackle Naquan Jones the same afternoon. Tom Pelissero reported that the release was made to create a roster spot and did not name the player, per Niners Nation.
Monday was Warner and Dugger. Fred Warner played all 67 defensive snaps and Jaden Dugger played 64, per the official game book. Jalen Graham, elevated for the night, played 9. Luke Gifford played 4 before he left with a groin injury. In Seattle on Oct. 11, the last game before the suspension, Greenlaw played 26 of 63. Garret Wallow was inactive Monday with a hamstring.
The count makes the spot Greenlaw's. Without Jones, 52 men count against the 53. Greenlaw makes it 53 the moment he is activated. That leaves Christian Kirk where he was on Monday: activating him off injured reserve takes a second move.
Kirk has one game left inside his window. The club opened his 21-day practice window on Oct. 15, so it closes Nov. 5. Atlanta on Sunday is the only game before then; the bye is next week. After Monday's game Shanahan called Kirk "a possibility for next week" and said, per 49ers Webzone's transcript, that the club "decided to give him another week" after his first two practices of the year.
Evans's injury now has a name and a horizon. Shanahan said after the game that Mike Evans has Achilles tendinitis and "I don't believe so" when asked about imaging, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "Hopefully he'll be able to play next week," Shanahan said, "but if not, we'll have to have the rest of the group step up and hopefully get him healed up by after the bye week." Ian Rapoport said on ESPN on Tuesday, per 49ers Webzone, that Evans will have to manage the tendinitis "for the better part of the season." Evans played 25 of 62 offensive snaps before he left with 1:10 to go in the first half.
No other receiver is coming back this week. Shanahan said he would be surprised to get Deebo Samuel or Demarcus Robinson back for Atlanta and that both are "most likely after the bye week," per the Webzone transcript. Robinson has been on injured reserve since Sep. 26 with a high ankle sprain; Wagoner reports he could open a practice window.
Thompson was back, and Jones was inactive. James Thompson Jr. played 21 defensive snaps on Monday, back from the ankle that kept him out at Seattle. Nine linemen played: Osa Odighizuwa 50, Keion White 50, Romello Height 40, Mykel Williams 30, Sebastian Valdez 26, Gracen Halton 24, Thompson 21, Khalid Kareem 18 and Ogbo Okoronkwo 17. Kyle Posey of Niners Nation ties the release to Thompson's return. Jones signed off Minnesota's practice squad on Sep. 23 and played three games, with two tackles, per the club.
Gifford and Upton Stout have no update since Monday. Stout left with a shoulder injury and did not return. The short week has three full practices, per the schedule 49ers Webzone published: Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., after Shanahan speaks at 12:45, then Thursday and Friday. Wednesday's injury report is the first word on either man for Atlanta.
