The San Francisco 49ers are deciding how to manage their limited injured-reserve options as defensive end Nick Bosa, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. recover from injuries. The decisions could affect whether those players are placed on the list.
NFL teams can bring back eight players from injured reserve during a season. As Week 3 approaches, San Francisco has 15 players on IR, with nine eligible to return. Eight of those nine are not considered to have season-ending injuries, and wide receiver Christian Kirk and offensive lineman Austen Pleasants have already received return designations.
That leaves six designations for the other eligible players. Cornerback Nate Hobbs and linebacker Nick Martin are among those players, although the source reports they may remain on IR for the season unless injuries create a need at their positions. If four additional players return, San Francisco would have only two designations left for the rest of the year.
Bosa suffered a calf injury, while Robinson and Thompson sustained high ankle sprains in Week 2. Coach Kyle Shanahan described Robinson's and Thompson's injuries as likely taking three to six weeks to heal and said Bosa could miss a few weeks. Shanahan said after Friday's practice that the team was comparing which players might return sooner and which might be out longer.
NFL rules require a player to spend at least four weeks on injured reserve before returning. San Francisco could keep a player off IR if the expected absence is only three or four weeks, but a longer recovery could make placing that player on the list more useful because it would open a roster spot.
