We know that Christian McCaffrey won’t play in the regular season finale due to a mild calf strain injury he suffered in Week 17. But that’s not the only starter who is ruled out according to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
On Monday afternoon, Shanahan responded, “The plan isn’t finalized yet. We’re still in discussions,” when queried about Brock Purdy’s potential start.
Following Sunday’s match, Shanahan emphasized the challenge of resting an entire roster, suggesting that some starters must participate while others won’t. He delved into his experience with resting starters in the past, noting the risk of them returning to the playoffs lacking sharpness.
ing. We’ve got a game this week on Sunday. When you give guys the game off, practice changes too.
That can end up hurting guys a lot, and you end up just developing bad habits. I’ve seen it cost a lot of teams. Also, it does give some guys a chance to get healthy. When you do that, and you sit people, then some of the names you guys mentioned, but then other people have got to double up and do a lot more because you only get two guys off a practice squad also.
Shanahan articulates the detrimental impact of resting players on the team’s performance, backed by multiple valid arguments within the realm of sports.
If you want to get more than two off practice squad, we’ve got to cut people on a roster, and then we don’t get those guys, just to get those guys up. So, it always can end up hurting. You rest players and that sometimes gets more players injured. That’s all that stuff you’ve got to balance out and that’s why there’s not a clear-cut decision on anything. You’ve got to look at each individual, in each situation and play it out as the week goes.”
Certain fans perceive that players receive an extended break of three weeks instead of the standard two. However, Shanahan’s emphasis on practice’s significance aligns with the team’s specific training needs, underscoring the vital role of the week leading up to the Divisional playoff round.
The impact of the bye week extends to players like Ambry Thomas, who might avoid playing with a hand cast, or Aaron Banks gaining an extra week to recover from a lingering toe injury dating back to before the bye week. The team faces various injuries, each affected differently by the extended break.
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