The San Francisco 49ers opened Week 5 prep with five players sidelined and three others working on a limited basis as they get ready for the Seattle Seahawks.
Among the absences, several were expected from the start. Nick Bosa (calf) and James Thompson (ankle) have already been regular names on the report, while Kyle Juszczyk (knee) and Marques Sigle (ankle) were also no surprise.
Juszczyk took a nasty shot to the knee that caused a hyperextension. The good news is he avoided major damage, but he is dealing with a sprain and a bone bruise and is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks.
Sigle’s timeline appears even less certain. He has a high ankle sprain and is expected to be out as long as Juszczyk, if not longer. The expectation is that he won’t be back for the 49ers until after their Bye Week.
The fifth player not practicing was nickel cornerback Upton Stout, whose absence also fits the situation. He’s working through an AC sprain in his shoulder, and Kyle Shanahan said Monday on a conference call with reporters that Stout would be day-to-day.
Stout was always a candidate to either sit out the first practice or be limited. The team chose to hold him out, which makes sense if the goal is to give him the best chance to be available against Seattle.
San Francisco will want as many pieces available as possible for this one. The 49ers were embarrassed in their last two meetings with the Seahawks, and this matchup gives them a chance to answer back.
There was at least one encouraging sign on Wednesday: Mykel Williams was among the three limited participants. He has a real shot to make his season debut in Week 5 after working back from a torn ACL and meniscus injury.
The 49ers opened his practice window last week, so this marks his second week of ramping up. That may still be a little early after just a two-week buildup, but if he looks good and avoids any setbacks, the team could deploy him the same way it did with George Kittle.
Mike Evans (ribs) and Kaelon Black (sick) were the other two players limited at practice.
In Other News...
49ers Got The Kyle Juszczyk Injury News They Desperately Needed
Kyle Juszczyks knee injury looked far worse in the moment, but the 49ers avoided the kind of outcome that can reshape a season. The Pro Bowl fullback was hurt against the Broncos and later learned the MRI showed no ligament damage, easing fears around a play that had plenty of people bracing for a longer absence.
Juszczyk is still expected to miss two to three weeks after suffering a hyperextended knee, capsule sprain and minor bone bruise, which likely rules him out for the Seahawks game. Even so, the door is open for a return before the end of October, a useful bit of news for a San Francisco offense that leans on his versatility and physical presence in the run game and around the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
John Lynch Could Have One More Aggressive Move In Mind
The 49ers have been surviving the kind of stretch that tends to test a rosters depth as much as its talent, stacking wins even while dealing with injuries that have complicated the week-to-week picture. That kind of success can make a front office hesitate, but it can also sharpen the sense that the current group is close enough to justify a little more help before the season gets much deeper.
With the November 10 trade deadline looming, John Lynch could still have one aggressive move left to make if he decides the run should be supported rather than merely managed. The names tied to that conversation point in a few different directions, from defensive tackle Daron Payne to wide receiver Quentin Johnston to edge rushers Za'Darius Smith and Khalil Mack, which says plenty about the range of ways San Francisco could try to bolster itself without waiting for the market to come to it. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Head To Seattle With Early NFC West Control At Stake
The 49ers have put themselves in a familiar and enviable spot through the first month of the 2026 season, sitting alone atop the NFC West at 4-0 as the division turns toward October. Seattle is the immediate chaser at 3-1, with the Rams hovering at .500 and the Cardinals already needing to climb out of an early hole. A division that often sorts itself out in the seasons second half is getting an early reading now, and San Francisco has the best starting position in it.
Week 5 brings a trip to Seattle, which gives the 49ers a chance to protect that edge against the team nearest to them in the standings. The broader picture in the division is still forming, but each result from Week 4 added a little more weight to this matchup, especially with Los Angeles trying to stay in range and Arizona looking to avoid falling further behind. For San Francisco, the next step is not just another game, but an early test of how real this start can become. [Read more 🡒]