Glenn Dorsey could be a few weeks away, per report

The San Francisco 49ers ruled Glenn Dorsey out for Sunday's game against Washington, and according to Pro Football Talk, Dorsey could miss more games. They are reporting Dorsey is a few weeks away from being ready to play.

On Thursday, Vic Fangio told the media Dorsey was in a similar position to where he was the week before while still on injured reserve. Fangio said he did not have the kind of "oomph" needed to be ready to go. The 49ers had to activate him off the injured reserve list this week, otherwise they would have had to either place him on season-ending injured reserve, or release him. They could have waited longer to activate his 21-day practice window, but it is possible they decided they would not know more without getting him back into practice.

The 49ers defense has been playing quite well without several key components from last season. However, getting Dorsey back this season would provide a nice boost in depth to the defensive line. Quinton Dial will continue to start at nose tackle, and with more performances like last week, he could secure the job for the rest of the regular season. Even if that does happen, Dorsey can play any position on the line, which means he can join Tony Jerod-Eddie and Tank Carradine in creating a significant rotation behind Justin Smith and Ray McDonald.

Smith is already playing fewer snaps than last season, following fewer snaps than he had in 2012. The line is staying fairly fresh heading into December, and the return of Dorsey could potentially keep the line even fresher heading into possible January football.