49ers have some IR options who could replace injured Arik Armstead

The San Francisco 49ers have lost defensive lineman Arik Armstead for an undetermined amount of time due to a hand injury, and edge rusher Aaron Lynch is out for at least a week with a calf injury. The 49ers pass rush has been inconsistent this season, and losing those two does not help matters.

For this coming weekend against the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers will be relying heavily on Elvis Dumervil, Solomon Thomas, and DeForest Buckner to create some semblance of a pass rush. The 49ers will also look to get Dekoda Watson back, potentially this week. The Dallas offensive line has done a solid job keeping Dak Prescott on his feet, so the 49ers are going to need to get creative. Rookie Pita Taumoepenu has only played on special teams thus far. He is raw, but with players dropping left and right, one has to wonder if the 49ers give him a shot this weekend.

As we move forward, the 49ers have some other options that could return to the roster. Defensive lineman Ronald Blair is eligible to return from the injured reserve list after Week 8. That means two more missed games for him. Defensive end Tank Carradine is eligible to return after Week 11.

The 49ers can return a maximum of two players from injured reserve. Shanahan said they are considering whether to place Armstead on injured reserve as well. If they place him on IR this week, he can return after Week 14. That would give him three games to close out the season.