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49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh made his regular bi-weekly appearance on the Murph & Mac Show, and he provided a bit of an update on defensive lineman Ray McDonald. According to Harbaugh, he would be talking with McDonald later today, but for now the team "might have dodged a bullet there" with regard to his biceps injury. Harbaugh said McDonald might have been able to walk it off. Given that it's a biceps injury, I assume that walk it off was meant more as just a turn of phrase.
I imagine we'll start hearing some more specifics leaked later today. At that point we'll get a better idea of any sort of timeline. McDonald could be back this weekend, or maybe he misses a week if he's not quite 100 percent. The 49ers will release their first practice participation report on Wednesday, so we'll get a better idea where things stand at that point. If McDonald is listed as limited, that would be a particularly good sign in my mind.
The 49ers rolled out Tony Jerod-Eddie in McDonald's place this past Sunday, and TJE put in some solid work. The team has been more willing to work TJE and Demarcus Dobbs into the rotation behind McDonald and Justin Smith. McDonald and Smith will get the vast majority of the work each week, but it's nice to know there are some solid options to rest them. And considering the team is getting reinforcements soon in the form of Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial, the depth should only improve.