The San Francisco 49ers are enjoying a well-deserved “Victory Monday” after beating the Dallas Cowboys 19-12 in the NFC Divisional Round. Sunday night’s win secured the team ticket to its third conference championship in the last four years, and as the 49ers prepare to turn the page to their next opponent, they’ll be working their way through some injuries to their top running backs and a key member their defensive front.
In his Monday address, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that Christian McCaffrey suffered a bruised calf while Elijah Mitchell sustained a groin injury. On the defensive line, Charles Omenihu is struggling with an oblique strain that knocked him out briefly during Sunday’s competition, but he was able to finish the game. All three players will be considered daily this week.
“We expect to get them all back by Sunday,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see how it goes through the training week and hopefully it will go well.”
Shanahan also all but ruled out quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (Foot)’s return to practice this week ahead of the NFC Championship Game. Garoppolo was able to do rehab work on the field for the first time since breaking his foot against the Miami Dolphins last week.
“I think he’ll get the x-ray tomorrow to see how it’s going,” Shanahan said. “Like last week, I would be very surprised if he were out there this week.”
Aside from Garoppolo, cornerback Ambry Thomas is the only other 49ers player struggling with serious injuries. Thomas pulled his ankle towards the end of the regular season and while there’s no firm timetable for his return, the head coach noted on Friday that there’s a possibility he could rejoin the team in the coming week.