At this point, the San Francisco 49ers have grown all too accustomed to serious injuries while trying their best to overcome them with a shorthanded roster.
However, in a winner-moves-on Wild Card showdown on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday, being shorthanded isn't exactly an ideal scenario where a loss means the season is over.
On Friday, before his team took off to Philly for Sunday's tilt at Lincoln Financial Field, head coach Kyle Shanahan briefed reporters with the Niners' final injury report.
The following players were listed as questionable:
- WR Jacob Cowing (hamstring)
- LB Luke Gifford (quadricep)
- CB Renardo Green (ankle)
- WR Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle)
- DE Keion White (groin, hamstring)
- OT Trent Williams (hamstring)
- LB Dee Winters (ankle)
Of that crop, two players stand out whose potential absences could ultimately dictate the outcome of the game: Williams and Pearsall.
49ers sorely need Ricky Pearsall and Trent Williams back from injury
Week 18's loss to the Seattle Seahawks might have been a blueprint of what things may be like if neither offensive starter is available. With Pearsall absent, a largely slow and shallow wide receiver corps was unable to adequately stretch the field against an elite Hawks defense, allowing head coach Mike Macdonald's squad to clamp down closer to the line of scrimmage.
Plus, a potent defensive front largely overpowered fill-in left tackle Austen Pleasants despite him admirably taking over for Williams following the first offensive snap the week prior in the victory over the Chicago Bears.
Needless to say, Williams' return from his hamstring injury is vital to ensure San Francisco's offense doesn't collapse under the weight of Philadelphia's defense. And Pearsall is needed to at least pull back the Eagles' crop of defensive backs from stacking the box.
If there's some good news, Williams was able to practice on Friday. That's a boost, and even if he's not quite at 100 percent, the future Hall of Famer is vastly superior to Pleasants in every observable way.
Pearsall, meanwhile, wasn't observed practicing, and his nagging PCL injury seems to be one that'll hold him back from the high-profile tilt.
At this point, one can only hope Shanahan can figure out alternatives to get his offense going without the 2024 first-round draftee in the mix when both squads square off on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 4:30 p.m. ET.