49ers Notebook

Mykel Williams and Siran Neal are the new names on Wednesday's list

Both played Monday, and Shanahan held both out two days later. Bosa did not go either, and Shanahan is hoping for Thursday.

SK
Sam KezarOct 21, 20263 min read
Every call on this site goes on a public ledger and gets graded. The misses stay up.
Mykel Williams, in a red 49ers practice jersey with white shoulder stripes and no helmet, smiles toward a teammate in the foreground during a 2025 work session on a grass practice field.

Kyle Shanahan opened his Wednesday press conference with nine names, per the transcript from the 49ers' communications staff. He said none of the nine would practice. The whole team was doing a walk-through, two days after the Monday night game in Santa Clara.

The list. Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Garret Wallow (hamstring), Nick Bosa (calf), Marques Sigle (ankle), Mike Evans (Achilles), Luke Gifford (groin), Siran Neal (knee), Upton Stout (shoulder) and Mykel Williams (knee). Four of them were inactive Monday. Evans, Gifford and Stout left that game. Neal and Williams are the new ones. The league's practice report that followed listed all nine as non-participants, plus Trent Williams, whom the club works only on Thursdays. Ashtyn Davis and Jaden Dugger were limited. Kirk and Romello Height were full.

Mykel Williams. Asked whether Williams was out or limited, Shanahan said "Not practice." Asked whether the knee flared up in the game, he said "Just knee." Williams came off the physically unable to perform list on Oct. 10. He played 30 of 67 defensive snaps on Monday, per the official game book, up from 23 of 63 at Seattle.

Neal played Monday and is listed with a knee. Shanahan gave no more on him.

Bosa. "No. Can't go today, but hoping he'll be out there tomorrow." He has missed four straight games.

Evans. Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that the receiver will have to manage the Achilles tendinitis for much of the season. Shanahan's answer: "We had to manage it last week and we're managing it this week. So, we'll see how the rest of the year goes." Asked whether he knows if that runs the whole year, he said "No."

Greenlaw and Kirk. "Yeah, Greenlaw will go today," Shanahan said. Dre Greenlaw is still on the commissioner's roster exemption, per the league's transaction wire, so he does not count on the 53 until the club activates him. The club's active list carries 52. Christian Kirk "had a good week last week and he'll be out there again today, so hopefully he feels good at the end of the week." His window closes Nov. 5. Greenlaw's activation fills the 53, so Kirk's would need a second move.

Naquan Jones is back. The club released the defensive tackle on Tuesday and signed him to the practice squad on Wednesday, per a club release at 12:15 p.m. Linebacker Eugene Asante, signed to the practice squad on Oct. 15, was released to make room.

The second half, on tape. Asked what he saw after Monday, Shanahan pointed to two third-and-longs and the two sacks that produced them: "Didn't have to do with Mike on those two plays." Asked whether George Kittle's frustration over missed assignments ran through the offense, he said "Not really," and called it "more about not getting the plays." Of Brandin Cooks, who caught one pass for 13 yards on two targets, he said: "Didn't have any MAs."

Trent Williams works Thursdays. Shanahan, on the left tackle's season: "because of his age we only make him go out there on Thursdays during the week." He said Williams seems healthier than in the last couple of years and credited eating and sleep habits.

Halton. On Gracen Halton, who played 24 snaps Monday: "I don't want to say surprised, but Gracen's made a number of plays."

Atlanta. On Bijan Robinson: "He's as good as advertised, pass game and run game. He doesn't have any weakness." The Falcons are 2-4 and 0-3 at home, per ESPN. Kickoff is 10 a.m. Pacific on Sunday in Atlanta.

Filed under 49ers

More on Mike Evans

His page →
Six 49ers are out at Atlanta, and Shanahan may dress fewer than 48
49ers Notebook

Six 49ers are out at Atlanta, and Shanahan may dress fewer than 48

The 49ers ruled out Nick Bosa, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Luke Gifford, Marques Sigle and Garret Wallow for Sunday at Atlanta. Christian Kirk, Siran Neal and Upton Stout are questionable; Kyle Shanahan called Kirk's tag procedural. The club released defensive lineman Ogbo Okoronkwo on Friday, opening a spot on the 53. Shanahan said the team may go into the game with fewer than the maximum 48 active, with quarterback Kurtis Rourke and possibly lineman Enrique Cruz Jr. the last two available, something he could not recall happening in his career.

Sam KezarOct 23, 20263 min read
Nick Bosa missed Thursday too, and Lynch put him in the Evans bucket
49ers Notebook

Nick Bosa missed Thursday too, and Lynch put him in the Evans bucket

Nick Bosa did not practice Thursday, per the 49ers' official report, a day after Kyle Shanahan said he hoped Bosa would. Mike Evans missed a second day, listed with ribs and Achilles tendinitis. John Lynch told KNBR that Evans's status is 'still TBD' and that Bosa is 'in that same Mike Evans bucket,' with an answer from Shanahan due Friday. Mykel Williams returned as a limited participant and Trent Williams was full after Wednesday's rest day. Eight players missed both days.

Sam KezarOct 22, 20263 min read
Half of Washington's second-half catches ended at Dugger or Warner
49ers Deep Dive

Half of Washington's second-half catches ended at Dugger or Warner

San Francisco beat Washington 23-17 to go 6-0, gaining 303 yards in the first half and 72 after it while Washington went from 90 to 224. Jayden Daniels completed 22 of 30 passes for 212 yards after halftime, almost all of them short, and Jaden Dugger and Fred Warner made the tackle on 11 of the 22, with Dre Greenlaw suspended, Garret Wallow inactive and Luke Gifford out after four snaps. Two of Washington's four first downs by penalty were illegal-contact calls on Renardo Green and Ashtyn Davis, the second wiping out a fourth-down sack; PFF graded Davis lowest of the 20 49ers defenders who played. Purdy threw 21 of his 29 passes to backs and tight ends, and after Evans left with his sore Achilles he threw nine more and one went to a wide receiver. Romello Height had four quarterback hits after missing Friday's practice. Greenlaw's suspension was lifted Tuesday; Christian Kirk is a possibility for Atlanta.

Sam KezarOct 21, 20266 min read

More on Nick Bosa

His page →
Christian Kirk is out Monday, which leaves one game inside his practice window
49ers Notebook

Christian Kirk is out Monday, which leaves one game inside his practice window

The 49ers ruled Christian Kirk out for Monday night against Washington at 1:08 p.m. Pacific, five days after opening his practice window off injured reserve, and elevated linebacker Jalen Graham and receiver Malik Turner from the practice squad in the same release. The club has 21 days from Oct. 15 to put Kirk on the 53, and the only game left inside that window after Monday is at Atlanta on Oct. 25; the bye follows. The inactive list posted at 3:44 p.m.: Kurtis Rourke, Enrique Cruz Jr., Deebo Samuel, Garret Wallow, Marques Sigle, Nick Bosa and Naquan Jones. Mike Evans, Gracen Halton, Mykel Williams, Siran Neal and Upton Stout, all questionable Saturday, are active, and Kyle Juszczyk returns. The receivers in uniform are Evans, Brandin Cooks, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and Turner. Graham, a 2023 seventh-round pick with 15 career games, covers for Garret Wallow and the suspended Dre Greenlaw. Washington activated three players from injured reserve and put two on it.

Sam KezarOct 19, 20263 min read
Evans is a Monday decision, and without him the 53 has three healthy receivers
49ers Pregame

Evans is a Monday decision, and without him the 53 has three healthy receivers

San Francisco hosts Washington on Monday night at Levi's Stadium, 5:15 p.m. Pacific, on ESPN and ABC. Deebo Samuel is out with a hamstring and Mike Evans did not practice all week with ribs and an Achilles, which leaves Brandin Cooks, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins as the receivers on the 53 without a designation. Christian Kirk is in his practice window off injured reserve and Shanahan would say only that activating him is possible. Nick Bosa sits a fourth straight game. Washington arrives 1-3-1 with Jayden Daniels back from an elbow injury, its leading rusher out, and its backup quarterback out.

Sam KezarOct 19, 20264 min read
Without Bosa, the defense Shanahan hoped would survive is third in points allowed
49ers Notebook

Without Bosa, the defense Shanahan hoped would survive is third in points allowed

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.

Sam KezarOct 18, 20264 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.

Latest on the 49ers

The whole beat →
Kirk is activated, and the 49ers will dress exactly 48 at Atlanta
49ers Notebook

Kirk is activated, and the 49ers will dress exactly 48 at Atlanta

The 49ers activated wide receiver Christian Kirk off injured reserve Saturday, re-signed defensive lineman Ogbo Okoronkwo to the practice squad a day after releasing him, released Kevin Givens from the practice squad and elevated Okoronkwo and linebacker Jalen Graham for Sunday at Atlanta. The club's active list now carries 54 names, six of them ruled out, which leaves exactly the 48 a team may dress if questionable corners Siran Neal and Upton Stout play. The NFL also fined Fred Warner $65,673 for two fourth-quarter hits against Washington.

Sam KezarOct 24, 20263 min read
How much of Brock Purdy's 105.6 passer rating belongs to Brock Purdy?
The finding

How much of Brock Purdy's 105.6 passer rating belongs to Brock Purdy?

Brock Purdy finished Monday's win over Washington with 1,524 career regular-season attempts and a 105.6 passer rating, first among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts, ahead of Lamar Jackson's 102.7. Against the league average over the same seasons, 90.7, he is 14.9 points better. Of 81 quarterbacks who entered the NFL in 1999 or later and reached 1,500 attempts, only Patrick Mahomes reached it further above the league. Other quarterbacks in Kyle Shanahan's offense since 2017 have rated 1.3 points above the league; Jimmy Garoppolo rated 8.9 above. The ten quarterbacks who qualified furthest above the league kept about four-fifths of that margin over their next 1,000 attempts.

Jamie SilvaOct 22, 20266 min read
After Pineiro's field goal, Washington ran 40 plays and the 49ers ran nine
Takeaways

After Pineiro's field goal, Washington ran 40 plays and the 49ers ran nine

San Francisco beat Washington 23-17 at Levi's Stadium on Monday night and is 6-0 for the first time since 2019. It led 23-3 with 5:56 left in the third quarter, and from there the offense ran nine plays on three possessions without a first down while Washington ran 40 and scored twice. Four of Washington's first downs came by penalty, two of them wiping out a third-down incompletion and a fourth-down sack. Malik Mustapha broke up a fourth-and-3 pass at the 17 with two minutes left, and Keion White and Romello Height sacked Jayden Daniels on the final play. Mike Evans caught three passes for 94 yards and left with 1:10 in the first half with the Achilles soreness that kept him out of practice all week. Brock Purdy passed 1,500 career attempts on the opening drive, and the club's notes list him first in career passer rating. Jaden Dugger led the team with 11 tackles. Luke Gifford and Upton Stout also left and did not return.

Sam KezarOct 20, 20265 min read

Earlier on the 49ers

In 1946 Los Angeles Charged The Rams A Price That Was Not Money
Civic memory

In 1946 Los Angeles Charged The Rams A Price That Was Not Money

On January 26, 1946, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission passed a resolution barring racial discrimination by any professional team using the stadium, and the Rams signed Kenny Washington fifty-four days later. Professional football was reintegrated by somebody who owned a building. On Thursday the Rams play a home game at a ground owned by the state of Victoria, and nobody who owns a building has any hold on them at all.

August LindenSep 6, 20266 min read
Bryce Hall And Corey Mayfield Jr. Won A UFL Title Together. On Friday They Were Auditioning In Santa Clara.
Camp Notebook

Bryce Hall And Corey Mayfield Jr. Won A UFL Title Together. On Friday They Were Auditioning In Santa Clara.

The 49ers worked out three defensive backs on Friday, per David Bonilla off the NFL's daily transaction report, with Nate Hobbs out a few weeks, Jack Jones nursing a hand and Marques Sigle an oblique. Bryce Hall and Corey Mayfield Jr. were teammates on the UFL champion Louisville Kings, and Troy Pride Jr. was a fourth-round pick in the same 2020 draft that took Hall in the fifth. No signing had been announced by mid-afternoon, and the roster has been full for ten days. Kurtis Rourke was released from the hospital Thursday night and no result of his further imaging has been published. The first snap counts of the preseason put Robert Jones and Connor Colby on opposite sides of the centre for all 44 first-unit snaps, and Jordan Watkins on the field for 58 while Jacob Cowing took none.

Sam KezarAug 14, 20263 min read
What Kyle Shanahan Has Not Said
Feature

What Kyle Shanahan Has Not Said

The 49ers opened camp this weekend without the man who has run it since 2017. Everything known about how he is has come from somebody else's mouth.

Posey ThompsonJul 26, 20268 min read