Not having wide receiver Jauan Jennings available against the Chiefs will sting the 49ers a bit.
This will sting a bit. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings will not be available when the San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs.
He is dealing with a hip injury he sustained in the 49ers’ Week 6 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Jennings missed every practice this week, but head coach Kyle Shanahan assures it isn’t too serious.
“I don’t think it is long-term,” Shanahan said. “I hope he’ll be ready for next week. He was close this week, so I’m hoping to get him back next week.”
Not having Jennings active is a rough loss. He was instrumental in the 49ers having success against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl eight months ago. Chances are he would’ve had close to the same impact he had in that game.
Jennings’ loss is rough but manageable. The 49ers still field a tremendous offense even without Christian McCaffrey. The bright side is that rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will be making his debut. He could end up shrinking the hole left by Jennings. It depends on his workload and how quickly he can adapt to the game.
At the very least, he can instill a lot of energy into the offense. He’s done that this week in practice. The 49ers have been ecstatic over his return, which has proven beneficial. His presence is like adding sticks to a flame. Pearsall has provided a beneficial boost for the 49ers as they head into their revenge matchup with the Chiefs.
Aside from Jennings, kickers Jake Moody (ankle) and Matthew Wright (shoulder) have been ruled out. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin) and cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (pelvis) are questionable. So, the 49ers are going into Week 7 relatively healthy. It should give them a good chance of being the first team to hand the Chiefs their first defeat of the season.
