Week 17 Injury Report: Cardinals Make Change At Quarterback, 49ers Still Beat Up
By Jerrell Richardson
It’s the final week of the NFL season, and the 49ers injury report is filled with starters, backups and big names alike. The team has already shut down multiple players, so even the 14 names listed on this week’s injury report does not reflect how injured they are heading into the regular season finale. There are two key 49es who might not play, but only one is a real injury concern. The Cardinals are in a similar boat. They have a ton of players on their injury report, however most are expected to play. The big news coming out of Arizona though, is that in place of the injured Drew Stanton will be Ryan Lindley and not Logan Thomas
San Francisco 49ers
Did Not Participate In Practice:
G Alex Boone (knee), CB Perrish Cox (shoulder), RB Carlos Hyde (ankle), WR Stevie Johnson (knee), S Eric Reid (concussion), DE Justin Smith (back), S Raymond Ventrone (groin).
Limited Participation In Practice:
CB Tramaine Brock (hamstring), LB Ahmad Brooks (thumb), CB Chris Culliver (knee), WR Bruce Ellington (hamstring), C Marcus Martin (illness).
Full Participation In Practice:
WR Michael Crabtree (knee), WR Brandon Lloyd (groin).
Arizona Cardinals
Did Not Participate In Practice:
LB Larry Foote (knee), QB Drew Stanton (knee), DT Dan Williams (foot).
Limited Participation In Practice:
WR Jaron Brown (foot), S Deone Bucannon (knee), DE Calais Campbell (hip), TE John Carlson (calf), G Jonathan Cooper (wrist), WR Larry Fitzgerald (knee).
Full Participation In Practice:
LB Lorenzo Alexander (knee), S Rashad Johnson (ankle), G Ted Larsen (shoulder), S Tyrann Mathieu (thumb), LB Matt Shaughnessy (shoulder).
6 49ers Really Hurt
Despite the number of names, the only 49ers in danger of missing the game are Alex Boone, Perrish Cox, Carlos Hyde, Stevie Johnson, Eric Reid and Raymond Ventrone. Out of these, the only players who will truly be missed are Boone, Cox and Reid, and the good news is that the only real player to watch is Reid.
Alex Boone has a knee injury that would not hold him out of a more important game. Even with little to play for other than pride, Boone is still expected to play. Cox is in the same situation, but his shoulder injury appears a bit more serious and he will most likely not play. San Francisco is very thin depth wise in the secondary, though, and Cox might need to suit up, but only be used in an emergency.
Safety Eric Reid is one of the reasons the secondary is hurting, and his injury is a legitimate concern. The hard hitting safety has suffered his fair share of concussions this season, and will need to be a player the team will need to keep a close eye on next season as both the team and player must hope that this doesn’t become an ongoing issue with the promising, young Reid.
The rest of the 49ers listed are hurt but not injured. This is the last game of the season and it’s normal for the players to have something ailing them. The only reason for any of the other plays not dressing is simply the time in the season, and the fact that the team is no longer fighting for the postseason.
Lindley Not Thomas To Start
Arizona knew that quarterback Drew Stanton wasn’t going to play this Sunday, but his replacement has recently changed. First it was announced that Logan Thomas would start, but now the team has decided to go with Ryan Lindley. It’s hard to determine if this is a good or bad thing for the Cardinals, but the bottom line is that they don’t have their first or second option and not thrilled with their quarterback situation.
Larry Foote and Dan Williams were the two other Cardinals unable to practice this week. Both are key members of the Arizona defense, which is the key to their success, which could have an impact Sunday. However, the 49ers offense has been less than impressive this year, the Cardinals have proven that they can succeed with the next man up, and even if both are unable to play it will still make life very difficult for San Francisco to score points.
For more 49ers news and updates, visit 49ers Central.
Jerrell Richardson is a Bay Area native who due to a college career at San Diego State University has grown an appreciation for all things sports related in California. His heart will always remain in San Francisco though where he currently resides and covers everything from the San Francisco 49ers and Giants to the San Jose Sharks and California Bears Baseball team. Jerrell is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
