It's an awfully overcast Wednesday for the San Francisco 49ers. After a loss to the Detroit Lions Monday night, they returned to their usual, albeit abbreviated schedule Wednesday, with an eye to their season finale.
Kyle Shanahan went through the laundry list of injuries:
Will not practice
OL Spencer Burford (calf)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf)
QB Brock] Purdy (elbow)
DL Robert Beal (ankle)
DL Leonard Floyd (shoulder)
OL Colton McKivitz (knee)
DL Nick Bosa (knee)
WR Deebo Samuel (rib/wrist)
TE George] Kittle (ankle/hamstring)
DB Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder)
CB Isaac Yiadom (pelvis)
Limited
WR Ricky Pearsall (illness/chest)
S Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle)
He also revealed the 49ers' plan at backup quarterback. With Brock Purdy out, Josh Dobbs will start over Brandon Allen. That decision is predicated largely on the injuries on the offensive line, and the fact that Dobbs is a far better athlete and scrambler than Allen.
Shanhan said he doesn't view this week as just an opportunity to get young guys playing time. Roster limitations and injuries limit what NFL teams can do.
“Not really. You just, rosters aren't built like that," Shanahan said. "You get to sit five to seven guys. You can sit seven if you bring up two practice squad guys. You don’t just sit there and tell every guy who is a veteran he’s going to be the backup and play special teams.
"Guys are banged up and stuff like that where they've just been barely getting to gameday and things like that. You’ve got to be smart with those things and that kind of, wouldn't want to play any of those guys or anything like that. But it's not what people think. We don't have rosters like that really anywhere. And you’ve got to balance it out to make sure you’ve got 48 guys who can play.”