Though the 49ers are coming off a bye week, even the extra rest may not have helped some key players.
As the Niners began practice Monday in preparation for Sunday’s game at Seattle, running back Carlos Hyde, wide receiver Anquan Boldin and cornerback Tramaine Brock – who all missed the team’s last game against Atlanta – still seem iffy.
San Francisco head coach Jim Tomsula told the media Monday, “None of those guys have gone full speed. Nobody has done anything full tilt yet.”
Hyde still is dealing with a stress fracture in his left foot and has missed the past two games. Boldin has a strained hamstring and Brock hurt his shin.
If Hyde can’t play Sunday, the offense can turn to journeyman Shaun Draughn, who had a nice debut for the Niners vs. the Falcons. But certainly, Tomsula and his staff would rather have Hyde, who started out fast this season, showing everyone what he’s capable of doing when healthy, with a 168-yard rushing game vs. the Vikings in Week 1.
Against the rugged Seahawks, the 49ers would love to have a capable Hyde to help take some of the pressure of quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who will be making his second start. But stress fractures can linger for weeks – or longer.
“We’re going to see where he’s at and see how it’s going,” Tomsula told reporters Monday. “He’s obviously been doing things for conditioning. He’s not running a ton, but we’ll see where he’s at this week. Yeah, he’s feeling better with all those things. But again, he’s not, you don’t know until you play. You know, you’ve got to make some cuts and get moving on it.”
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Boldin, too, would be nice to have in the lineup as a sure target for Gabbert. But he’s missed two straight games.
Other key players with injuries, including outside linebacker Aaron Lynch and defensive backs Marcus Cromartie, Jimmie Ward, Keith Reaser and Kenneth Acker were reported by Tomsula to be ready to play against the Seahawks.
