Although it had been circulating all week, it is now official: the 49ers’ two starting defensive tackles for Week 15 will be absent.
Coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers declared on Friday that DTs Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead will not participate in Week 15’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. This week, neither man has been able to see the practice field; instead, the latter has only been able to observe drills on the side field.
Due to foot and ankle injuries that worsened during Week 13’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Armstead has not participated in practice in the past two weeks. The 30-year-old veteran from Sacramento has been spotted walking around the facility without a brace or crutches, but the team is still wary of him. His plantar fasciitis kept him out of the regular season for half of 2022.
In the meantime, during Week 14’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, Hargrave sustained a hamstring injury. After developing the illness in the third quarter, he did not rejoin the game. The 49ers will exercise caution with the big man, who has participated in strength and conditioning drills off to the side of practice all week.
“We’ll be down two [starters], so we got to have two more [elevated from the practice squad] and we’ll make that decision on Sunday,” Shanahan said Friday.
Both men have been productive for the Red & Gold this season, racking up 11 sacks on the year.
Tight end Ross Dwelley (ankle), linebacker Oren Burks (knee), and running back Elijah Mitchell (knee) are joining Armstead and KInlaw on the inactive list.
In addition, four 49ers starters are listed as doubtful for the game on Sunday. This includes guards Aaron Banks (hip) and Spencer Burford (knee), cornerback Charvarius Ward (groin), and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (hip, ankle). After practicing on Friday, all four men are expected to play in Week 15.
Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule:
Sunday, Dec. 17th @ Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 p.m. PST
Monday, Dec. 25th vs. Baltimore Ravens – 5:15 p.m. PST
Sunday, Dec. 31st @ Washington Commanders – 10:00 a.m. PST
Sunday, Jan. 7th vs. Los Angeles Rams – TBD