Kyle Shanahan Says FB Kyle Juszczyk Likely to Miss Week 8 with Broken Finger
Oct 24, 2022, 4:30 PM
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 09: Kyle Juszczyk #44 of the San Francisco 49ers high-fives Mike McGlinchey #69 after a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
(Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
The injury bug is sticking around in Santa Clara.
Fresh off the San Francisco 49ers‘ Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, head coach Kyle Shanahan delivered the news Monday that fullback Kyle Juszczyk broke a finger Sunday, requiring him to have surgery to address the issue. Said surgery has already been had, according to the coach, but he is likely to miss the team’s road trip to face the Los Angeles Rams this week.
A valuable member of the rushing attack, “Juice” signed with the Red & Gold in 2017, playing his first four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Making the Pro Bowl every year he’s been a 49er, Juszczyk has amassed over 1500 receiving yards during his tenure in The Bay.
Shanahan explained Monday that he will be back after the team’s bye in Week 9, but that they will rely on the tight end group this week to replace him.
49ers’ FB Kyle Juszczyk underwent finger surgery today and is expected to miss Sunday’s game vs. the Rams.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 24, 2022
“We got a number of tight ends on our roster, we try to cross train at that position. So whether it’s Ross [Dwelley] or sometimes it’s [George] Kittle. You know, we got [Tyler] Kroft, we got Charlie [Woerner], so we use all those guys pretty similar,” Shanahan stated via conference call Monday.
Joining Juszczyk on the injury report are wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (calf). Both players are viewed as day-to-day by the organization.
Greenlaw’s injury popped up during the game Sunday, forcing him to miss most of the second half against Kansas City. While Samuel noted hamstring tightness Monday morning, landing him on the injury report to start the week.
“Yeah, he [Samuel] finished the game but it was bothering him. Yeah, he reported it today,” Shanahan added.
Additionally, a decision on cornerback Jason Verrett (knee) has not been made yet, with the player needing to be activated off the PUP/reserve list before Wednesday’s deadline. “JV” is still coming back from his ACL tear suffered in Week 1 in last season’s contest against the Detroit Lions. Shanahan noted that the injury-plagued cornerback has looked better in practice recently, but that a decision has yet to be made if he’ll be activated or not.
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead is also still dealing with foot/ankle problems that have hampered him since Week 3. The team hopes to get him back this week to face the Rams.
“We’re missing him a lot,” Shanahan stated. “Arik’s been our best player in there [interior line] and it’s been tough without him, especially the other guys that are missing too, it’s not just him, but he’s at the top of it. Hope to have him back this week, still continuing his rehab and we’ll see how it goes.”
