49ers WR Christian Kirk ‘feeling like myself again,' could return soon

From Ricky Pearsall to Christian Kirk to De’Zhaun Stribling to Demarcus Robinson to Deebo Samuel, the San Francisco 49ers have faced a brutal stretch of injuries at wide receiver.

Finally, they may get one back on the field.

The 49ers opened the 21-day practice window for Kirk on Thursday after he spent the first five weeks of the season shelved with a calf injury. The 29-year-old, who inked a one-year, $6 million contract with the 49ers this past offseason, will work his way off injured reserve and onto the 53-man roster in the coming weeks.

Kirk, a limited participant Thursday, practiced for the first time since July 26, the first day of training camp. He suffered a calf strain and dealt with multiple setbacks in his recovery. It remains unclear whether Kirk will play in the 49ers’ Week 6 matchup Monday night against the Washington Commanders.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan had said Monday that he was not expecting Kirk to return to practice this week. But Kirk hit some milestones in his recovery, he said, that have allowed him to “get over that hump.”

“Feeling like myself again,” Kirk told reporters in the locker room ahead of Thursday’s practice. “Body’s starting to respond to the training and the recovery and whatnot.”

The 49ers signed Kirk in March as added receiver depth. He was not expected to contribute heavily, but he may have to now, out of necessity. San Francisco’s available receivers entering Week 6 are Mike Evans, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and Brandin Cooks. Oh, and Evans popped up on the injury report Thursday with an Achilles injury and did not practice.

Once upon a time, Kirk was an impact player. He featured in the Arizona Cardinals’ offense for four seasons to begin his career, then signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022. But after a 1,108-yard season in 2023, injuries began to pile up. He missed 18 games over the past three seasons with groin, collarbone and hamstring injuries.

After telling reporters last week that his Week 6 return was “pretty darn likely,” Nick Bosa did not practice Thursday due to his calf injury. Bosa still has a chance to play, but the 49ers want to make sure he is fully recovered before he returns to the field.

Asked if he has any sense about Bosa’s chances of playing against the Commanders, Shanahan responded: “No, I don’t. Hoping he can go, but not able to practice today.”

Evans is dealing with what Shanahan termed “Achilles soreness,” four days after he carried the 49ers’ offense late in a win over the Seattle Seahawks. In classic Mike Evans fashion, he was spotted chilling ahead of practice with AirPods in, feet reclined and phone in front of his face as he watched a video in the players-only area of the locker room. Evans then took the field briefly at the start of practice, working on a side field as he did some light stretching.

Another surprise appearance on the practice participation report: defensive tackle Gracen Halton. The rookie, after starring in Seattle, did not practice Thursday due to a quad injury. The nature of Halton’s injury is unclear, although he spoke to reporters in the locker room ahead of practice, suggesting his ailment is not too serious.

Other players with limited designations Thursday: fullback Kyle Juszczyk (knee), tackle Colton McKivitz (illness), safety Siran Neal (neck), cornerback Upton Stout (shoulder), defensive end Mykel Williams (knee), guard Carver Willis (toe). … Other non-participants: running back Christian McCaffrey (rest), wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring), safety Marques Sigle (ankle), defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. (ankle), linebacker Garret Wallow (hamstring), tackle Trent Williams (rest).

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This article originally published at 49ers WR Christian Kirk ‘feeling like myself again,’ could return soon.