49ers can expect these players back healthy after bye week

The 49ers navigated a challenging period of the season where injuries were a problem, but they’ll expect some hefty reinforcements after the Week 9 bye.

San Francisco 49ers fans are eagerly awaiting a season in which injuries don’t play a massive, massive factor.

2022, while not quite as serious as 2020, has nevertheless been cruel to the Niners, and it’s hard to overlook that stretch of games where as many as six defensive starters were out of the lineup with one ailment or another.

And while some of those injuries were of the season-ending variety, such as cornerback Emmanuel Moseley suffering an ACL tear in Week 5, many of San Francisco’s players heading onto inactive or reserve lists because of injuries are actually poised to return.

Perhaps there was a bit of a positive omen when head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters there were no injuries to report in the wake of the 49ers’ Week 8 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

It’s hard to recall the last time Shanahan has been able to say that.

Either way, the Niners roster can anticipate getting stronger awfully soon, as these players are looking to make an imminent return after San Francisco’s Week 9 bye.

49ers players who will return from injury

The 49ers have largely avoided using injured-reserve designations on too many players, given they can only reactivate so many after being placed on this IR list.

As such, a number of injured Niners have simply been inactive for weeks on end, including the first player San Francisco is hoping to get back soon.

DL Arik Armstead

Arik Armstead has been out with a foot injury suffered way back in Week 4, the last time the 49ers played the Rams, but he had to come out during that game and has been inactive ever since.

The Niners’ run defense has sorely missed Armstead’s commanding interior presence, giving up back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in Weeks 6 and 7, a feat that didn’t happen since the opening half of the 2021 season.

CB Jason Verrett

Jason Verrett started off the year on the physically unable-to-perform list after suffering a torn ACL way back early in 2021.

Even though he was activated prior to Week 8, San Francisco likely didn’t want him to see the field until after the bye.

If he’s fully healthy, though, Verrett likely slots right into where Moseley vacated within the 49ers secondary.

WR Deebo Samuel

Deebo Samuel suffered a hamstring injury in Week 8 and was originally listed as day-to-day.

It’s likely Samuel was close to being able to play in Week 8, but the added two weeks should make the combination of him and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey an exciting one to watch.

FB Kyle Juszczyk

Kyle Juszczyk suffered a broken finger in Week 7 that required surgery, and that forced him out of Week 8.

He’ll likely be back in Week 10, though, with little issue.

RB Elijah Mitchell

The Niners’ situation at running back has changed a lot since Elijah Mitchell suffered an MCL sprain way back in Week 1 that subsequently landed him on injured reserve.

Mitchell, when he does return, will now play a proverbial “second fiddle” to McCaffrey, but that’ll help keep the second-year pro fresh and lessen the risk of injuries, as Mitchell does carry that reputation.

LB Azeez Al-Shaair

Like Mitchell, Azeez Al-Shaair has been dealing with an MCL sprain suffered during San Francisco’s Week 3 loss to the Denver Broncos.

The 49ers missed fellow linebacker Dre Greenlaw in Week 8, too, but the expectation is for this group to be fully healthy with both Greenlaw and Al-Shaair in the fray by the time Week 10 rolls around.