On the latest episode of “Behind The Mask,” NBC Sports Bay Area’s Takeo Spikes dissects what the mentality of the 49ers’ players should be heading into the final three games of the season.
The 49ers on Saturday placed rookie tight end, Charlie Woerner, on the reserve/COVID-19 list, making him ineligible to play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Woerner becomes the third 49ers player to go on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, joining offensive lineman Colton McKivitz and running back Austin Walter.
The 49ers also announced the club has activated linebacker Mark Nzeocha from injured reserve. The special-teams standout has appeared in just three games this season. He sustained a severe quadriceps injury in the 49ers' Week 3 game at the New York Giants.
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The elevated three players from their practice squad as COVID-19 replacements: tight end Daniel Helm, and offensive linemen Dakoda Shepley and Isaiah Williams.
Woerner, a sixth-round draft pick from Georgia, has appeared in all 13 games. He has two catches for 33 yards and also serves as one of the team's core special-teams players. Helm will take over as the 49ers' No. 3 tight end behind Ross Dwelley and Jordan Reed.
George Kittle returned to practice this week but will not play against the Cowboys as he works back into shape after being out since Nov. 1 with a fractured cuboid bone in his foot.
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McKivitz and veteran Tom Compton have shared time at right guard, but both are out of action. Compton went on injured reserve after sustaining two concussions in a three-week span.
Second-year offensive lineman Justin Skule is in line to make his second start of the season and his first ever game appearance at right guard.
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said on Friday he has confidence in Skule making a quick adjustment even though he has not gotten much work before this week at the guard positions. The 49ers selected Skule in the sixth round of the 2019 draft from Vanderbilt.
“From what I remember, and we move our guys around a lot in training camp, some to get through practices and some just to plan for situations like this," Shanahan said. "So, everywhere we’ve moved Skule, he's been able to figure it out and do a good job.
"The moment’s not too big for him. He knows what to do and feel fortunate to have a guy who will hop in anywhere we ask him to go.”
Skule has nine previous NFL starts, all at left tackle. He played eight games in 2019 in place of Joe Staley. He started Week 8 against Green Bay when Trent Williams was unavailable after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a close contact.
The 49ers (5-8) look to keep their faint NFC playoff hopes alive on Sunday against the Cowboys.
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The 49ers on Wednesday signed offensive linemen Williams and Aaron Neary to the practice squad. Williams received the promotion ahead of Neary because of his better knowledge of the team's offense.
Williams (6-foot-3, 296 pounds) entered the NFL after signing with Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2016 from the University of Akron. He has never played in an NFL game.
Williams and Shepley are in line to make their first appearances with the 49ers.
Shepley was in uniform last week against Washington but did not see any action. He played his college football at the University of British Columbia. He entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Jets in 2018 before signing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.