In a move that should surprise nobody, the San Francisco 49ers have officially placed linebacker NaVorro Bowman on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List. Bowman will remain on the PUP list while he rehabs the knee injury suffered in the NFC Championship Game. If he is not removed from the Active/PUP list by the end of training camp, he will be transferred to the regular season Reserve/PUP list.
While on the PUP list, Bowman is not allowed to practice with the team. He can go to meetings and continue his rehab, but he cannot take part in the team's on-field practice. Check out socalisteph's article from last week breaking down the timeline of the PUP list. The basics:
1. If not placed on the list at the start of training camp, he could not be placed on it later.
2. If he then transfers to the Reserve/PUP to start the season, he cannot be removed through the first 6 weeks.
3. After 6 weeks, the 49ers have until the Monday after Week 11 to get him back on the practice field. If he does not get back on the field by then, he is out for the year.
4. If he is back on the practice field by the Monday after Week 11, the 49ers then have 3 weeks to activate him to the 53-man roster. If they do not activate him, he is out for the year.
5. Bowman counts against the 90-man roster, but as long as he is on the PUP list during the regular season, he will not count against the 53-man roster.
The general belief is that Bowman will remain on the PUP list until potentially midway through the season. He conceivably could get back close to 100 percent a lot quicker than that, but my guess is he does not come off the list until mid-November. And if the 49ers are in good shape at that point, I could see that move into December. I would expect him back for a potential playoff run, but there is no rush getting him back.
Ideally, Michael Wilhoite, Chris Borland, Nick Moody, and/or Shayne Skov performs well enough that the 49ers can hold off bringing Bowman back. The competition has been on-going since the start of the offseason workout program, and will only intensify with the first practice of training camp on Thursday. Wilhoite likely enters as the favorite, but all four will get a chance to compete for the job.