San Francisco 49ers running back Tevin Coleman, who was removed with a high-ankle sprain during the Niners' Week 1 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and hasn't played since, is officially active for San Francisco's prime-time Monday Night Football bout against the visiting Cleveland Browns.
Coleman's return creates something of a logjam for head coach Kyle Shanahan at the position, meaning one of his other tailbacks, Jeff Wilson Jr., will be inactive.
Here are the 49ers' inactive players for Week 5:
QB C.J. Beathard
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
RB Jeff Wilson
OT Sam Young
OT Joe Staley
DT Jullian Taylor
WR Jordan Matthews
Matthews, whom the 49ers inked to a one-year deal after placing rookie wideout Jalen Hurd (back) on injured reserve, isn't a surprise addition to San Francisco's inactive list. At this point, Matthews is merely a reserve player, as Hurd hasn't seen any regular-season action in 2019.
Yet two of the Niners' other inactive players due to injury, Staley (leg) and Witherspoon (foot), open up plenty of intrigue for this prime-time bout. Rookie tackle Justin Skule, making his second NFL-level start, will have to contend with Browns edge rushers Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon, while Witherspoon's absence leads to second-year cornerback Emmanuel Sanders getting his first start.
His task will include handling Browns standout wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
The 49ers and Browns kick off from Levi's Stadium at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday Night Football.
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
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