San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is being coy about a major roster need that has surfaced over the last couple of weeks.
Suddenly, the 49ers are needing bodies in the trenches, as defensive linemen Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave and Kalia Davis are all dealing with injuries.
Both Armstead and Hargrave missed their team’s win over the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend, and Davis suffered an ankle injury during the victory that will sideline him for a bit.
With San Francisco clearly needing help up front, could the Niners turn to free-agent defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh? Shanahan was diplomatic in his answer.
“Not yet. I’m not ruling out anything,” Shanahan told reporters, via the 49ers’ official team website. “We have guys on our practice squad as you guys see that we used last week. But, that stuff we also aren’t exactly sure when Hargrave and Armstead are coming back.”
Both Armstead and Hargrave are questionable for the 49ers’ Christmas Day matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, and given that the Ravens boast the league’s best rushing offense, this is something that San Francisco really needs to get sorted out.
“We do know they have chances this week,” Shanahan said of Armstead and Hargrave. “So, there’s a lot of variables that are playing together that we’ll be discussing here the rest of the day, tomorrow. Even if we don’t make a move in any area, that’ll probably be continuing throughout the year.”
The Niners do have Kevin Givens and Javon Kinlaw, both of whom played against the Cardinals, but the 49ers were gashed for 234 rushing yards on the afternoon.
In order for San Francisco to contain Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s fierce rushing attack, Kyle Shanahan and Co. will have to come up with something.
The Niners are 11-3 and have won six straight games. After battling the Ravens, they will face the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams to wrap up the regular season.
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