The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will take part in a showdown this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium that could possibly end up deciding who finishes first in the NFC West. The Rams are currently in first place with a 6-2 record, while the 49ers are 6-3, but the Niners hold the tiebreaker right now thanks to their clutch overtime win over Los Angeles in Week 5.
San Francisco has been ravaged by injuries for the second year in a row, as it has lost defensive end Nick Bosa, middle linebacker Fred Warner and rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams to season-ending injuries. To make matters worse, Bryce Huff, the team’s other starting defensive end opposite Bosa, has missed its last two games with a hamstring injury.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Huff will be available on Sunday. The 27-year-old fully participated in practice on Friday after being limited on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Bryce is good to go,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Friday, per 49ers Webzone.
Huff has been a fairly sizable addition for the Niners this season. After spending his first four NFL seasons with the New York Jets, he played with the Philadelphia Eagles last season and got himself a Super Bowl championship ring.
His best season to date was in 2023 when, as a member of the Jets, he recorded 10 sacks, 21 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for loss. The Jets’ head coach that season was Robert Saleh, who is now the Niners’ defensive coordinator.
In seven games this year, Huff has gotten four sacks, six QB hits, six tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 19 total tackles (11 solo). The 49ers badly need healthy and viable men on defense, and that is exactly what Huff’s return will provide.
There was a lot of talk that they may swing a big deal prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, but all they managed to pull off was a trade for defensive lineman Keion White, a player who will likely make a minimal impact. Therefore, if they are to go far in this season’s playoffs, they will have to rely on the roster they have possessed since day one of training camp - or at least what is left of it right now.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who started the season off well before sustaining a knee ailment, will miss his sixth straight game. Starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who hasn’t played since Week 4 and has appeared in just two games this year due to a toe injury, is listed as questionable, and backup Mac Jones will make his eighth start of 2025.
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