Kirk (calf) had his 21-day practice window opened Thursday.
This is a mildly surprising move, as head coach Kyle Shanahan described Kirk on Monday as "unlikely" to resume practicing this week. Kirk was given a designation to return when he was initially placed on IR prior to the start of the regular season, so the plan has always been for the veteran wide receiver to make it back to action at some point during the season. His practice participation level will bear monitoring, as Kirk will likely need to ramp up to full participation before he gets a chance to suit up for game action. San Francisco's banged-up wide receiver room could certainly use the reinforcements, as Deebo Samuel (hamstring) is expected to miss Monday's game against the Commanders, while Demarcus Robinson (ankle), De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) all remain on IR.