San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who injured his hamstring during Friday's practice, is expected to miss the Niners' preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys this upcoming Thursday.
The San Francisco 49ers will be without their No. 1 cornerback, Richard Sherman, when they take on the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium this Thursday for both teams' 2018 preseason opener.
Sherman injured his hamstring during training camp practice last Friday while covering wide receiver Pierre Garçon. Sherman came up limping a bit, and the Niners held him out of the rest of camp. The three-time first-team All-Pro sat out of practices Sunday, and the Niners revealed the injury was a little worse than initially thought.
"At least a week," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters in regards to Sherman being out. "We're definitely going to rest him at least a week. We don't think it's going to be anything long term. It's Grade 1, a little higher than we expected, so we've got to be careful with that."
The 49ers have been easing Sherman back into practice after he was cleared from his 2017 Achilles injury just before training camp. A week ago, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh noted the veteran corner was still working on "getting his football legs back."
"He doesn't have anything to prove," Saleh said of Sherman on July 29. "He has to just get back in shape and get his legs back."
This latest injury will hinder that progress, although the Niners have little reason to rush Sherman back into the fray. What it does mean, however, is getting fellow cornerback Jimmie Ward (hamstring) back into full practice will be pretty important. And it also opens up more opportunities for depth corners, including rookies Tarvarius Moore and Tarvarus McFadden.
McFadden had an interception off a deflected pass in practice Sunday.
Cornerback depth was one of the bigger concerns the 49ers had entering 2018. Aside from Sherman, the Niners may see nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams out for a length of time, as he appeared to roll his ankle during practice. This will likely translate into more reps for first-year nickel D.J. Reed between now and Thursday.
San Francisco has two more days of camp practice this week before a walk-through on Wednesday. The 49ers then open up their 2018 preseason against the Cowboys, kicking off at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Written By:
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
All articles by Peter Panacy
Peter Panacy
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
All articles by Peter Panacy
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers insider: It's reasonable to expect Ricky Pearsall to miss the 2026 season
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has already missed 14 games through his first two NFL seasons, and now his entire 2026 campaign could be in jeopardy. Pearsall battled a PCL injury during the 2025 season, but the expectation—or hope—was that the issue would... -
49ers preseason: NFL Network and ESPN to air all three games
The NFL Network and ESPN have announced their preseason broadcast schedules, and all three San Francisco 49ers preseason games will be available to a national audience. Fans in the Bay Area can watch the games locally on KPIX. Those outside the 49ers' home television market... -
49ers rookie Romello Height avoids serious injury after being carted off the practice field
San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive end Romello Height suffered an injury during Monday's practice, the second session of training camp. The third-round pick was carted off the field following a concerning moment. Scary moment at practice and rookie 49ers DL Romello Height is... -
Christian Kirk injury gives 49ers' young receivers greater opportunity to make their mark in training camp
The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2026 offseason with a very different look at wide receiver. The additions of veteran players Mike Evans and Christian Kirk gave the team two experienced weapons to pair with Ricky Pearsall, while also creating a much more crowded competition...