Bourne's positive test latest hurdle for 49ers

When the 2020 NFL schedule was cooked up, Thursday night's showdown between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers — a delicious rematch of the last season's NFC Championship tilt — had to be considered the marquee game of Week 9.

Now it will be a mere shadow of its former self if it, in fact, it gets played at all.

The game was still a go late Wednesday, even though earlier in the day a member of the 49ers, reported to be wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, had tested positive for COVID-19 and the team's facility was shut down.

Even if no other 49ers test positive for the virus before kickoff, those deemed to be within the “high-risk, close-contact” area of Bourne would have to enter a five-day isolation period, therefore making them unavailable to face the Packers.

The 49ers already have the longest injury report in the NFL, and they're particularly short-staffed on offence. Among the key clogs on the shelf are quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Rasheem Mostert, who scored four touchdowns and rushed for 220 yards when San Francisco knocked off Green Bay 37-20 last Jan. 19 to advance to the Super Bowl.

Ten months later, the 49ers are last in the NFC West at 4-4 and, with all the bodies in their infirmary, are unlikely to even make the playoffs.

The Packers (5-2) are first in the NFC North but have lost two of their last three since prolific left running back Aaron Jones (calf ) and stalwart left tackle David Bakhtiari (chest) went down.

Their status is unknown for Thursday but the Packers are reportedly “pessimistic” about the availability of Jones, who scored two of their three TDs in the NFC title match. That puts them in a pickle. Running back

Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin are both in isolation for a fiveday period after they were declared “high-risk, close contacts” of running back AJ Dillon, who tested positive on Monday.

If Jones is a no-go, the Packers will rely on return man Tyler Ervin and Dexter Williams, just promoted from the practice squad, for their running game.

Yeah, it'll still be a rematch of last year's conference championship, all right. But a number of key positions it will be played by backups.