One of their top offensive players will not available for the second week in a row, so the 49ers could ask a couple of rookies to help pick up the slack.
Tight end George Kittle was declared as one of the 49ers’ five inactive players for Sunday’s home opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium.
Kittle returned to limited practice on Friday after missing the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Chicago Bears with a groin injury.
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Coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch vowed to hold off on declaring Kittle’s status for as long as possible before making a decision.
Officially, that decision came 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday, when teams must submit their list of inactive players to get down to 48 eligible players.
Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy, offensive linemen Daniel Brunskill (hamstring) and Nick Zakelj and defensive lineman Kemoko Turay were the 49ers' inactive players.
Kittle made progress this week, and the club believes he has a strong chance to return to action for the 49ers’ Week 3 game against the Denver Broncos.
San Francisco 49ers
Tyler Kroft started last week at tight end in place of Kittle. Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley also saw action.
Running back Ty Davis-Price and wide receiver Danny Gray, both third-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, are set to make their debuts against the Seahawks.
In the 49ers’ season-opening loss to the Bears, the club deactivated Davis-Price and Gray.
Undrafted rookie running Jordan Mason got the nod as the team’s No. 3 running back because of special teams. And the 49ers elevated receiver Malik Turner to play ahead of Gray for the same reason.
Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. is likely to start against the Seahawks in place of Elijah Mitchell, who is expected to miss eight weeks with a knee sprain (MCL).
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Wilson, Mason and Davis-Price could all see touches out of the backfield -- along with receiver Deebo Samuel -- before coach Kyle Shanahan leans toward the player with the “hot hand.”
Gray is a speedster who could provide quarterback Trey Lance with an option for a deep threat in the passing game.