The statuses of San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa have been major talking points leading up to the team's Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Both players are expected to suit up for the game. However, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that the team will need to manage their workloads. Kittle is returning from a torn Achilles suffered in January, while Bosa was limited to just three games last season after tearing his ACL.
"We've got to be smart with that," Shanahan said. "Bosa not practicing as much. Kittle, he's had this whole week. But they both look great and stuff, but we've definitely got to be smart with that."
One player who is unlikely to have his snap count managed is running back Christian McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 413 touches last season. The 49ers have carefully managed his practice workload throughout training camp, particularly after he dealt with some tightness. However, there is no question about his availability for Week 1.
Asked how McCaffrey is feeling just days before kickoff, Shanahan offered a simple answer: "Awesome. Ready to go."
There was some unfortunate injury news this week, though. Shanahan revealed that projected starting defensive tackle Alfred Collins tore his patellar tendon during Tuesday's practice (Monday in the United States).
"I'm hurting for Alfred," Shanahan said. "It happened yesterday during a period, right before we started going against each other, and it was real unfortunate for him."
The 49ers are holding their final full practice ahead of the Week 1 game on Wednesday afternoon in Melbourne (Tuesday night in the United States). The team will then conduct a walk-through on Thursday (Wednesday in the United States) before taking on the Rams.
Mentioned in this article: Nick Bosa, Alfred Collins, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey
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