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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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The 49ers trade a sixth-round pick for Keenan Allen
49ers Notebook

The 49ers trade a sixth-round pick for Keenan Allen

San Francisco acquired wide receiver Keenan Allen from Indianapolis on Tuesday, deadline day, for a 2027 sixth-round pick, the league transaction wire shows. It is the second trade between the clubs in three weeks, after DeForest Buckner on Oct. 27. Allen, 34, played at Cal and is a six-time Pro Bowler with 1,095 career catches, eighth all time. He had 40 catches for 351 yards and one touchdown in eight games for the Colts, their team lead. The club placed Gracen Halton on injured reserve with a fractured ankle the same afternoon, and its roster page showed 52 on the active roster before Allen was added. Allen joins a receiver room missing Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr. last Sunday. He caught four passes for 26 yards against Dallas in Week 9, and the 49ers play at Dallas on Sunday.

Sam KezarNov 10, 20263 min read
Gracen Halton needs ankle surgery, and both outside corners are day-to-day
49ers Notebook

Gracen Halton needs ankle surgery, and both outside corners are day-to-day

Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Gracen Halton dislocated and fractured his ankle, will have surgery this week and will go on injured reserve. Renardo Green (back) and Deommodore Lenoir (foot) are day-to-day before Sunday's game at Dallas. C.J. West's practice window opens Wednesday, Deebo Samuel could practice Wednesday, and Mike Evans is not expected to.

Sam KezarNov 9, 20263 min read
Nick Bosa plays his first game since September, with Buckner beside him
49ers Gameday

Nick Bosa plays his first game since September, with Buckner beside him

The 49ers (6-1) play the Raiders (4-4) at Levi's Stadium at 1:25 p.m. Pacific on FOX. Nick Bosa is cleared after missing five games and lines up with DeForest Buckner for the first time since the 2019 season. Christian Kirk, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are out, and Demarcus Robinson is back off injured reserve. Ten to watch, led by the rookies and second-year players: Jaden Dugger, Gracen Halton, Mykel Williams, Upton Stout, Jordan Watkins, plus Bosa, Buckner, Robinson, George Kittle and Brock Purdy. Inactive lists post at 11:55 a.m. Pacific.

Sam KezarNov 8, 20264 min read

More on Kyle Juszczyk

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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
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

On the record

Called Shots →
MissedJul 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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The 49ers ran Las Vegas out of its plan before they took the ball away
49ers Deep Dive

The 49ers ran Las Vegas out of its plan before they took the ball away

San Francisco beat Las Vegas 38-17 on Sunday and is 7-1. The five second-half takeaways will be remembered, but the game was settled earlier. The 49ers' first three drives went 37 plays and 242 yards, took 19 minutes and 23 seconds and ended in touchdowns, and San Francisco ran 25 times for 125 yards before halftime. Las Vegas had the ball for 71 seconds in the first 13 minutes. Trailing by 11 at the half, the Raiders ran six times and threw 24 times after it, and Klint Kubiak said that being in position to throw on every down produces interceptions. The pass rush did not cause the turnovers: Cousins was hit twice on eight first-half throws and four times on 24 second-half throws. Two takeaways were punched out of receivers' hands, and one came off a fumbled exchange. The second half also showed a cost. San Francisco threw an interception, was stopped on fourth-and-1 at its own 40, and allowed 222 kickoff-return yards, and Las Vegas started three drives in 49ers territory. The game moved San Francisco's season turnover margin from minus-3 to plus-1. Las Vegas has now allowed 30 or more points six weeks running, so Dallas on Sunday is the first test of whether the formula holds.

Sam KezarNov 10, 20266 min read
Five takeaways in one half, and the 49ers never sacked Kirk Cousins
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Five takeaways in one half, and the 49ers never sacked Kirk Cousins

San Francisco beat Las Vegas 38-17 at Levi's Stadium on Sunday and is 7-1. The 49ers scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, did not punt, and ran 43 times for 190 yards. Las Vegas turned the ball over on five of its six second-half possessions: Jaden Dugger's 35-yard interception return on the first play of the half, two forced fumbles, and interceptions by Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha. The official game book credits San Francisco with no sacks and six quarterback hits, two of them on the plays Green and Mustapha intercepted. Nick Bosa played 39 of 50 defensive snaps in his first game since Sept. 20, and DeForest Buckner played 34. Jordan Watkins caught all four of his targets for 86 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Christian McCaffrey's 12-yard catch set the Super Bowl-era record for touchdown catches by a running back and was Brock Purdy's 100th touchdown pass. Gracen Halton broke his ankle and is out for the season, Shanahan said; Green (back) and Deommodore Lenoir (foot) did not return.

Sam KezarNov 9, 20265 min read
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49ers Notebook

Demarcus Robinson takes Christian Kirk's spot on the 49ers' 53

The 49ers placed Christian Kirk on injured reserve Saturday and activated Demarcus Robinson off it, so Robinson is in line to play Sunday against Las Vegas for the first time since Sept. 20. KhaDarel Hodge was elevated from the practice squad. Nate Hobbs, questionable on Friday, was not activated and stays on reserve.

Sam KezarNov 7, 20263 min read

Earlier on the 49ers

De'Zhaun Stribling Is Out At Least A Month, And Injured Reserve Would Cost At Most One Game More
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De'Zhaun Stribling has a deltoid sprain in his ankle and is out at least a month, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Sunday morning; the rookie is still seeking opinions and may need surgery, though none is planned. San Francisco has filed nothing: read at 4:50 p.m. Pacific Sunday, the club's transaction log still ends on September 10 and Stribling is still on the Active table. The reported month rules him out of Miami on September 20, Arizona on September 27 and Denver on October 4 whether he goes on injured reserve or not. The four-game minimum that comes with the designation adds at most one more, October 11 at Lumen Field, and Christian Kirk becomes eligible to return from injured reserve for that same game. The first club document that has to say anything is Wednesday's injury report; Nick Avila of NBC Sports Bay Area reported that the players do not practise until then. Behind Stribling the active roster carries Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson, Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins, and Watkins was inactive in Melbourne. One take filed, priced at -120.

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