NFL Player News

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that the 49ers will "hold off" on placing Samuel (hamstring) on IR due to the team's bye in Week 8, Vic Tafur of the Athletic reports.

It was reported earlier in the week that Samuel would miss multiple weeks; however, the 49ers are stopping short of placing him on injured reserve for the time being due to how the schedule sets up. Samuel is set to miss at least the Week 6 game against the Commanders and likely the following game against the Falcons before the team gets a bye. Week 9 seems to be the earliest potential return date for the veteran.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Evans won't practice Thursday due to rib and Achilles injuries, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Evans has been tending to strained ribs since a Week 3 matchup with the Cardinals, playing through it the last two contests to the tune of a 12-189-1 line on 18 targets during that stretch. Shanahan attributes Thursday's absence to not only that, but what he calls Achilles soreness, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. The mere mention of Achilles can be concerning, but in the end, the situation will be monitored to see if Evans' status for Monday's game against the Commanders is at all threatened.

Penix (ribs) practiced without limitations again Thursday, Daniel Flick of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Penix has faced no limitations in Atlanta's first two practices ahead of Sunday's game against the Bears, suggesting that he's good to go after subbing out late in this past Sunday's overtime loss to the Ravens, in which Tua Tagovailoa threw the game-losing interception in OT. The Falcons have scored 34.3 points per game in Penix's three starts after averaging 8.0 PPG in the first two games of the season while Penix was wrapping up the rehab on his torn ACL.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that Robinson (ankle) has an "outside chance" to return from injured reserve for the 49ers' Week 7 game versus the Falcons but is more likely to be activated following the team's Week 8 bye, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

Robinson is on the mend from a right high-ankle sprain, which he sustained in the 49ers' Week 2 win over the Dolphins. The 49ers have a dire need for reinforcements at receiver with Deebo Samuel (hamstring) out through the bye and three other wideouts currently on IR, but unless he has his 21-day window opened next week and looks better than expected in practice, Robinson doesn't look like he'll be able to help the team until its Week 9 game versus the Raiders.

Waller (toe) remained limited at Thursday's practice.

Waller has registered back-to-back limited practice sessions coming out of Carolina's Week 5 bye. The veteran TE could avoid an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Eagles but ramping up his participation level to full Friday. Tommy Tremble (ribs) has also opened Week 6 prep with consecutive limited practices, but both Waller and Tremble seem likely to suit up Sunday, as neither has missed a game this season.

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.

Williams (hamstring) was a full participant at Thursday's practice.

After opening the week listed as full on Wednesday's estimated injury report after a walkthrough, Williams was able to handle an entire practice one day later, giving him a great chance to resume starting QB duties for the Bears in Week 6. He's been sidelined the past three games due to a Grade 2 right hamstring strain that he suffered in the fourth quarter of a Week 2 loss to the Vikings, and while head coach Ben Johnson hasn't announced a starter for Sunday's contest in Atlanta, he seemingly will do so by week's end considering Williams' activity level so far this week.

Monangai (toe) was listed as a non-participant on Thursday's injury report.

With Monangai now opening Week 6 prep with back-to-back missed sessions, his status for Sunday's game remains in question. The Bears' Friday report should provide more clarity on his status going into Sunday's game against the Falcons. If Monangai is unable to go, look for D'Andre Swift to handle the bulk of the work while Roschon Johnson gets a slight bump in playing time.

Rice (hamstring) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Coming out of the Chiefs' Week 5 bye, Rice has been a spectator for both of the team's first two practices of the week while he continues to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained in an Oct. 4 win over the Raiders. Kansas City hasn't yet closed the door on Rice suiting up Sunday against the Chargers, but he'll almost certainly need to practice in some capacity Friday to put himself on a path to play.

Moore (ankle) remained a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Moore injured his ankle in the Week 5 win over the Bears and seems to be trending toward a Week 6 absence Sunday against the Cowboys, which would open the door for Bo Melton and J. Michael Sturdivant to take on larger roles behind Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. The Packers would also need to find an alternative option to return kickoffs and punts if Moore sits, with Sturdivant, Melton, Golden and Pierre Strong among the top candidates to contribute in those situations.