49ers open practice window for Jimmy G; Mullens needs surgery on his right elbow

The San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to practice Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. MST. The team announced that they’d opened the practice window for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The team doesn’t have to activate Garoppolo, but this gives them a chance to evaluate him and see if he’s healthy enough to play Saturday against the Cardinals.

Shanahan said he’d be very surprised if Garoppolo plays and that he’d be “very surprised” if the doctors clear Jimmy and we see him this weekend. Shanahan said the 49ers would be “very safe” with Garoppolo, and the team will reassess his chances for the season finale against Seattle. He doubts that Jimmy would suit up, even as a backup, Saturday against the Cardinals.

Nick Mullens needs surgery on his right elbow after suffering a “pretty serious injury” against the Cowboys. Shanahan said that there’s a possibility Mullens would need Tommy John surgery. He also added that he thinks Mullens was starting because he has been better than C.J. Beathard in camp, practice and games. It doesn’t matter now because Beathard is your starter with Mullens suffering his injury.

If the 49ers are unable to sign another quarterback from another team’s practice squad—based on COVID-19 protocols, that’s the Niners only option since they’re already in the testing and it takes six days to get them in the building—then Kyle Juszczyk, Richie James, or Jerick McKinnon would serve as the 49ers, backup quarterback. Let’s get weird.

We’re discussing emergency quarterbacks because, in addition to Mullens's injury, Josh Johnson has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. WR Kevin White was placed on the same list.

Shanahan said the team is going to shut down Raheem Mostert for the rest of the season. Mostert suffered a high-ankle sprain on his already injured ankle. He’ll miss the final two games. Shanahan said Jeff Wilson Jr. and the rest of the running backs made it out of Sunday’s game healthy.

George Kittle is likely going to play on Sunday based on Shanahan’s comments. Kyle said, “I think he’s got a chance this week. if he’s good, I plan on playing him.” Here’s more of Shanahan’s answer:

“Most of the soreness was going away. If he’s 100% healthy, how do you sit one guy and look at everyone else? We’re going to be overly cautious with him, and we have been. But if someone’s 100% healthy, I can’t look the rest of the team in the eye and tell them they have to play, but George doesn’t.”

Richard Sherman came out of Sunday’s game with some soreness, per Shanahan,. Sherman will be day-to-day.