Several injured San Francisco 49ers players have a chance to return for Monday night's game against the Washington Commanders, but they will need to make significant progress in the coming days.
Defensive end Nick Bosa has been dealing with a calf injury, while fullback Kyle Juszczyk is working his way back from a knee injury.
The 49ers could also get a boost to their injury-depleted receiving corps. The team opened wide receiver Christian Kirk's practice window this week, giving him a chance to return to the lineup against Washington.
General manager John Lynch joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Friday morning to provide updates on all three players.
Nick Bosa's injury status
Bosa did not practice on Thursday, but the 49ers appear encouraged by his progress. Lynch was asked whether the star pass rusher could return for Monday night's game.
"We will see," Lynch responded. "Nick is making really good progress. We're encouraged by that. You kind of are always towing that line of when is the right time, and that's a collection of talking to the docs, talking to the trainers, but most importantly, the athlete, seeing exactly where he's at.
"We want to make sure when we get him back, we have him back for good, that he's not going to re-injure it. And there's no assurances there, there's no absolutes, but we'll continue to communicate with everybody involved, see if he can get out here today. The extra day helps us, and so kind of a fluid situation there."
Kyle Juszczyk's injury status
Juszczyk suffered a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise in Week 4, forcing him to miss the 49ers' game against the Seattle Seahawks. However, the veteran fullback could return earlier than expected. Could that happen against Washington?
"There is a chance," Lynch said. "He practiced yesterday. Juice is so tough. Again, beating timelines. When we first saw that, no one felt good about it, but he felt good the next day. And Juice, he's such a tireless worker, and he's got such a great mindset. He's going to beat any timeline you give him, so we'll see again.
"He's got to continue to string practices along, but it's pretty remarkable he was even out there yesterday, and he looked really good."
Christian Kirk's injury status
The 49ers haven't ruled out activating Kirk ahead of Monday night's game. His return would provide a welcome boost to a receiving corps that recently added Deebo Samuel to its injury list.
"He's had a really good last couple of weeks," Lynch said. "He came to us, and the plan was a little further down the road, but Christian really came and said, 'Guys, I'm feeling great, and I know we're down with going down.' So, we saw fit to open up his window. He's kind of passed those markers, so we put him out there on the practice field.
"He looked good. So, we'll see if he is activated this week, if we can get there. I think another good day of practice, another couple more good days. This is a normal Thursday for us, which is a lot going on in this practice, a lot of volume. We'll see if he handles that well and then make a decision later in the week."
More info on: Nick Bosa, Kyle Juszczyk, Christian Kirk, Deebo Samuel
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