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The San Francisco 49ers are back in Santa Clara to get ready for their Week 12 Monday Night Football contest against Washington, which means it was once again time for Jim Harbaugh's weekly day after game press conference. Harbaugh discussed all sorts of topics, and naturally was asked about the status of Michael Crabtree.
Harbaugh said he thinks Crabtree is close to returning, but he would not commit to anything for Monday Night Football. Harbaugh said it would depend on whether he could get through a full week of practice, and could take on the full workload.
The 49ers cleared Crabtree to begin practicing on November 5, which means they have until November 26 to activate him to the 53-man roster. That is the day after the 49ers face Washington. It is still possible the team activates him for Monday's game, but my guess remains that his first action is the following Sunday, December 1, against the St. Louis Rams.
The team could use the help this week against Washington, but this is not something to force. Even if Crabtree is ready, I can see how the team might not want to risk anything on the re-sodded grass at FedEx Field. Candlestick Park is not exactly a great field to play on, but FedEx has been a problem for some time now. They re-sodded the field over the last couple weeks, but it remains to be seen how ready the field is. I'm talking with a member of the community who has background in groundskeeping, so I look forward to sharing whatever he has to say.