Quinton Patton out of walking boot, Jim Harbaugh anticipates him back this year

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh met with the media on Wednesday, and he had an update on wide receiver Quinton Patton. Harbaugh was asked if the team might place Patton on injured reserve. In response, he said h anticipated would be back playing this season. He also said that Patton had emerged from his walking boot in the last few days, and was ahead of schedule.

Over the weekend, Patton made a radio appearance, and said he was still focusing on upper body work, and not doing any running. This news would seem to indicate he'll get back to running, if he has not already. We're at the six week mark of his recovery, in what was described by many as a 6-8 week process.

This weekend, it sounds like he would be the only non-healthy player among the inactives. Michael Crabtree is unlikely to be activated by then, so he is not included, but that means six healthy players will be sidelined. This isn't breaking news, but it's still notable as the 49ers are getting back to full health. Given that they went 6-2 with the injuries piling up in the first half, that tells us a lot about the upside of this team.

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