The San Francisco 49ers had several of their playmakers fall off the injury report before taking off for the East Coast. Left tackle Trent Williams (groin), wide receiver Deebo Samuel (neck) and defensive lineman Javon Hargrave (hamstring) were all full participants in Friday’s workout after being limited the previous two practices and avoided any injury designations heading into the Week 17 matchup versus the Washington Commanders.
With Williams available to start on Sunday, the 49ers have some breathing room in terms of their starting lineup on the offensive line, which got shuffled around during the Christmas night game. Left guard Aaron Banks (toe) is questionable, so if he is unable to go, Jon Feliciano can take over his responsibilities with Spencer Burford working in at right guard, and Colton McKivitz back at his usual starting right tackle spot.
A total of five players were ruled out entirely, most notably rookie safety Ji’Ayir Brown, who has been playing alongside Tashaun Gipson Sr. in place of injured All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga. San Francisco has a number of options for defensive backs to fill in for Brown that includes two-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan, who is cross-trained at multiple secondary positions. General manager John Lynch mentioned on KNBR Friday morning that the 49ers would look to Ryan if Brown were ruled out, and head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the team’s confidence in Ryan in his press conference.
“Us playing against (Ryan), he always seemed like such an aware, smart player,” Shanahan said. “He’s a guy with a lot of experience that has played in a lot of different defenses, so we brought him in there when we had a few injuries. He’s looked, since he’s been here, what we hoped he was. Now that we’ve had those injuries, he’s in that role… He’s very comfortable, knows what he’s doing and the game is not too big for him.”
