SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The 49ers, who are at the top of the league when it comes to players on injured reserve, might be adding another prominent name to the list.
Running back Raheem Mostert suffered a dreaded high ankle sprain against the Rams and is expected to be placed on injured reserve this week costing him at least the next three games, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday.
The injury came in the second quarter of Sunday night’s key victory against Los Angeles in which Shanahan’s offense took a significant step forward while Mostert was leading the team in touches. He finished with 17 carries for 65 yards before exiting early in the third quarter.
Without Mostert, the 49ers will lose their fastest offensive player and their most lethal big-play threat out of the backfield.
“I think Raheem’s shown this league, starting last year, how special of a back he is,” Shanahan said Sunday night. “So anytime you lose a special guy like that, there definitely is a change, but I’ve also got a lot of confidence in our other guys, too.”
Mostert’s absence leaves Jerick McKinnon and JaMycal Hasty as the remaining healthy halfbacks on the roster. Tevin Coleman remains on injured reserve following a Week 2 knee injury and is iffy to return to practice this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.
Jeff Wilson Jr. missed the Rams game with a calf injury suffered during practice last week, though the team is hopeful he can return to action Wednesday, Shanahan said.
McKinnon, who missed the last two seasons with knee injuries, has been San Francisco’s only halfback to appear in all six games in 2020. Hasty has gotten carries in two games and showed promise after Mostert’s departure Sunday night, adding nine carries for 37 yards, including two first downs that helped salt the game away.
Hasty was an undrafted rookie in the spring out of Baylor who broke training camp as a member of the practice squad.
“He came in the game and the moment wasn’t too big for him,” Shanahan said Monday. “We like to keep our guys fresh. Once we lost Raheem, Jet (McKinnon) had been going for a while. It was a perfect time to change the pace and bring in a fresh guy and he was the guy that we had left. And he came in and he was ready for the occasion.”
Mostert entered the weekend averaging 7.0 yards per carry, which dropped to 5.9 following Sunday’s win. The former track star is known for his speed, but he was running with more power against the Rams that he does typically. He leads the team with 303 rushing yards despite missing two full weeks and essentially the second halves of Week 2 and Week 6. He suffered an MCL sprain Week 2 that cost him the next two games.
Mostert would join a crowded, and expensive group on injured reserve. According to Spotrac, the 49ers have players making over $51 million in salary on injured reserve.
That group includes star defensive end Nick Bosa (torn ACL), Dee Ford (back), cornerback Richard Sherman (calf), defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (torn ACL), slot cornerback K’Waun Williams (knee sprain), tight end Jordan Reed (MCL sprain) and receiver Jalen Hurd (torn ACL).