More injuries:
McKinnon, Jerick K’Waun Williams and Jason Verrett are in danger of missing season opener for 49ers.
Nick Bosa has company. The rookie edge rusher with a severe ankle sprain isn’t the only notable member of the 49ers in danger of missing the regularseason opener Sept. 8 at Tampa Bay because of an injury.
On Thursday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said running back Jerick McKinnon (knee), firststring nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams (knee) and cornerback Jason Verrett (sprained ankle) would miss the preseason and their status for Week 1 was uncertain.
Williams recently had arthroscopic surgery and Verrett sustained an ankle injury in practice Wednesday. Meanwhile, Shanahan said McKinnon had “a lot of soreness” in his surgically repaired knee following participation in two practices after he was taken off the physically unable to perform list Tuesday. McKinnon participated only in individual drills during his practice this week.
Shanahan said McKinnon will have a plasmarichplatelet injection in his knee that will keep him out of practice for the next two weeks. McKinnon, who sustained a torn ACL just more than 11 months ago, had what general manager John Lynch termed a “flareup” in his knee before training camp.
The 49ers signed McKinnon to a fouryear contract last year with $18 million guaranteed. Shanahan said the 49ers could keep McKinnon on the 53man roster or place him on injured reserve with a designation to return if he wasn’t ready for the season opener.
“If he’s ready, that would be great,” Shanahan said. “If not, we’ll be patient with him and expect him one of our other guys to step up.”
Shanahan said Verrett’s ankle injury wasn’t as significant as that of Bosa, whose injury has “components” of a high ankle sprain, according to Lynch. However, Verrett has a similar recovery time frame.
For Verrett, his injury is the latest setback in a fiveyear career in which he has missed 55 of 80 games. The 2014 firstround pick has played in just five games the past three seasons because of two significant knee injuries and a torn Achilles.
Verrett took limited snaps in team drills during the first 10 practices of training camp as the 49ers eased him back into action. Shanahan indicated Verrett would make the 53man roster based on his onfield history and what he has shown the team since he signed a oneyear deal in March. Verrett was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2015, the only season in which he played more than six games.
“We know the football player he is,” Shanahan said. “We’ve seen the guy since he’s been here, and he’s as good of a guy and as good of a competitor as I’ve been around. We’ve got ultimate trust in him. It’s just about him getting his body right.”
In addition, starting center Weston Richburg remains on the PUP list after undergoing offseason knee and quadriceps surgery and his status for Week 1 is in doubt. Transactions: The 49ers signed defensive lineman Jeremiah Valoaga and waived receiver Chris Thompson, who was signed last week. The 49ers added Valoaga with four defensive linemen, Bosa, Dee Ford (knee), Arik Armstead (calf ) and Ronald Blair (groin), sidelined.