The 49ers on Saturday announced a slew of roster moves ahead of their Week 5 showdown with the Panthers in Carolina. Some good and bad injury news throughout the week wound up pushing San Francisco to make a few more moves than the typical practice squad elevations.
One move that wasn’t made was defensive lineman Arik Armstead going on IR, which is something head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday said was a possibility while the veteran DL deals with injury issues in both feet.
Here’s a quick rundown of the moves:
FS Jimmie Ward
The 49ers activated Ward from IR. Week 5 was the first week he was eligible to return from a significant hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason. He practiced during the week and is good to go back to the starting lineup Sunday in Carolina.
OL Colton McKivitz
McKivitz suffered an MCL sprain in the team’s Week 4 win over the Rams. He had been starting for injured LT Trent Williams. The sprain is expected to keep McKivitz out for a couple months, so an IR stint makes sense. OL Jaylon Moore will start in his stead.
DL Akeem Spence
Spence was promoted to the active roster and will likely stay there for awhile with Armstead and DL Javon Kinlaw both dealing with injury problems. The 49ers elevated Spence from the practice squad in Week 4. This time he’s on the active roster and won’t revert back to the practice squad.
RB Tevin Coleman
For the second consecutive week the 49ers have brought up Coleman from the practice squad. His elevation indicates head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t entirely comfortable with either Marlon Mack or Jordan Mason. Coleman was the only RB besides Jeff Wilson Jr. to take a snap in Week 4.
WR Malik Turner
Once again Turner has been elevated from the practice squad. He’s played in two games already this season and seen action on 35 special teams snaps. He figures to maintain his role as a key special teams contributor Sunday.
