The San Francisco 49ers have formally placed wide receiver Pierre Garçon on injured reserve. Garçon suffered a neck injury last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers also released offensive lineman Bryce Harris. They filled those two roster spots by activating defensive lineman Ronald Blair off the injured reserve list, and promoting rookie offensive tackle Darrell Williams from the practice squad.
The team did not place Garry Gilliam on injured reserve yet, which is kind of an odd decision. He was expected to be done with a knee injury, but this could mean subsequent evaluations are more positive. He has been ruled out for Sunday.
The offensive line will likely feature Trent Brown and Zane Beadles at left and right tackle, with Williams serving as the swing tackle. Right guard Brandon Fusco has been a bit banged up, so if he has to leave Sunday’s game, either Beadles would move to guard or Erik Magnuson would get a shot.
Blair was placed on IR after final roster cuts, opening the door for this return to action. He is the team’s first return from IR, leaving them with one more option to return. Blair will likely get a decent amount of playing time right off the bat with Solomon Thomas sidelined with an MCL injury. Blair is a bit of a tweener who could see time both outside and inside on the line.