Alexander landed on injured reserve on November 5 but practiced with his teammates for the first time on Thursday as the 49ers prepare for their first playoff game. Although, he did so while wearing a blue no-contact jersey.
San Francisco can bring back one more player from injured reserve and is hoping to do so with Alexander, should the team win its playoff game on Saturday, January 11.
"He's coming along," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters this week. "There's definitely going to be a chance (for a return). I don't think that will be this week, but if we're fortunate enough to win our first game, I think he could have a chance after that. We're still holding out hope for that, but we'll see how it goes over these next couple of weeks."
Alexander, who spent his first four NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing with the 49ers on March 11, 2019, finished the regular season with 34 combined tackles, 0.5 sacks, four passes defensed, an interception, and a forced fumble through eight starts before the injury. He has never played in a playoff game.
RELATED
"Playoffs are hard to get to for anyone," Alexander recently told Matt Barrows of The Athletic. "I think anyone, if they had a chance to come back, they'd want to come back. Because I never played in the playoffs in all my life. So that's one of the big goals of mine. So I'm just working hard and trying to get there, man. I hope I'm going to get there, and they clear me — hopefully."
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers open Dre Greenlaw's practice window
The San Francisco 49ers have officially opened linebacker Dre Greenlaw's 21-day practice window, giving the team until Wednesday, December 18, to activate him from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have opened the... -
With playoff hopes fading, 49ers need to 'do something special' to turn their season around
With five games remaining in the 2024 NFL season, it's safe to say the San Francisco 49ers' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Making matters worse is the fact the 49ers have appeared lifeless in their past two games -- a 38-10 loss at Green Bay on November 24 and a 35-10... -
Kyle Shanahan shares blunt truth about 49ers' playoff chances
The San Francisco 49ers suffered their sixth loss of the season, further diminishing their playoff chances. However, the silver lining is that the NFC West race is a tight one, with just one game separating first and last place. A win against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday... -
49ers' Kyle Shanahan shares positive update on Dre Greenlaw, discusses return timeline
The San Francisco 49ers are encouraged by linebacker Dre Greenlaw's progress as he works his way back from a torn Achilles suffered in February. While Greenlaw remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed optimism about the...