Jerick McKinnon returns to practice. Taylor, Hurd, likely out Week 1. Street to the IR?

For the first time in two weeks, when he had a setback, running back, Jerick McKinnon returned to practice on Tuesday. The hope was to let “Jet” practice ahead of the preseason finale Thursday, but I don’t believe we’ll see him until the regular season. By all accounts, he remains a candidate for the IR with a designation for return. We will get an update on how he looked, and I’m sure he’ll speak to the media as well. Expect Kyle Shanahan to be cautious with McKinnon. For whatever it’s worth, McKinnon was wearing a brace during Tuesday’s practice on his surgically repaired knee. That was not the case when he returned to practice a couple of weeks ago.

Shanahan continues to have confidence in McKinnon, and the 49ers as a whole.

“We’ve got a number of guys on our team who could take us completely to another level. I also felt similarly on offense, too. When you get guys back like the guys you mentioned on defense, when you get guys back like Kittle, if we could get Jet back, we’ll see how that goes this week.”

The following players did not practice Monday:

WR Dante Pettis (groin)

WR Jalen Hurd (back) Was working on Juggs machine

WR Trent Taylor (foot)

CB K’Waun Williams (knee)

CB Jason Verrett (ankle)

DE Nick Bosa (ankle)

RB Raheem Mostert (thigh)

DE Kentavius Street (knee)

Kyle Shanahan quotes

Shanahan said that there is a possibility that McKinnon will be available for Week 1 against Tampa Bay. That would shake up our 53-man projection, that’s for sure. Wouldn’t that all but ensure the team goes light at tight end?

Shanahan also said that center Weston Richburg would not play Thursday. It was a bit surprising, given what he had previously stated about getting Richburg some game reps, but Shanahan did say he was pleased with the small sample size of what he has seen from Weston. Again, being cautious in the preseason.

Street will undergo arthroscopic surgery. His future remains unclear, but that sounds like he will go on the IR. It is the same knee that Street tore his ACL. Shanahan said the most likely scenario is that Street goes on the IR, but wouldn’t fully commit.

Shanahan said that it’s “highly unlikely” Taylor will be available Week 1. He also said that he doesn’t know who is going to start at receiver. Pettis, Hurd, and Marquise Goodwin will not play Thursday night.

Shanahan said he doesn’t know if Hurd will be ready for Week 1, either. Regarding Hurd’s back: “I don’t know, I wouldn’t have thought that a week ago but it’s still lingering and it’s definitely legit, so, we are going to rest it again this whole week, and then we will probably reassess it on Monday and see where he’s at.”

Shanahan on Pettis: “I’ve been hard on Dante, but if anyone knows me, I am hardest on people I believe in, and I do believe in him a lot. I’m always going to be a little disappointed because I think he can be very good. It’s important to our team that he is.”