About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The San Francisco 49ers face one of their toughest challenges of the 2026 season in their Week 7 matchup on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.
San Francisco is going into the game shorthanded with fewer than 48 players available, their undefeated record (6-0) on the line.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has ruled out a handful of stars, including their main receivers. A few others are questionable for Sunday. He's discussed the need for players to stay ready because it's likely their number is called Sunday.
"It's stuff we've talked about throughout the week. Hope it doesn't get to it, and odds are it won't, but it definitely could," Shanahan said when asked if guys are ready to assume roles they don't usually play. "You're always a few injuries away from those situations and now it comes down to a couple. So, percentages go up."
Week 5: The mascot of the Arizona Cardinals, Big Red, performs before the game against the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Week 5: New England Patriots cheerleaders perform during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 5: San Francisco 49ers fans cheer as Brock Purdy #13 leaves the field after defeating the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) Week 5: A Seattle Seahawks fan cheers during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field on October 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) Week 5: Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson does a Lambeau Leap after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears, 31-7 . (Sarah Kloepping, Green Bay Press-Gazette) Week 5: Fans look on from the stands during the game between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The game ended in a 27-27 tie . (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) Week 5: The mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jaxson de Ville, performs before the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Jaguars won the game, 19-17 . (Nathan Ray Seebeck, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 5: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform before the "Thursday Night Football" game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on October 8, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) Week 5: Singer and songwriter Lainey Wilson dances with members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders before the "Thursday Night Football" game between the Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) Week 4: The San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders take the field before a game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. (Darren Yamashita, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: Seattle Seahawks fans hold cutouts of quarterback Sam Darnold prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Lumen Field. (Joe Nicholson, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: Houston Texans mascot Toro and Superfan pose for a photo prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium. (Thomas Shea, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders perform before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium. (Jonathan Dyer, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: A young fan of the Baltimore Ravens looks on before the start of the game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: Washington Commanders mascot Major Tuddy holds a camera during the second quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. (Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 3: Denver Broncos cheerleaders perform during the "Sunday Night Football" game against the Los Angeles Rams at Empower Field at Mile High.
Week 3: The Maracanã Stadium gets set to host the International Series game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Week 3: Corgi dog competitions take place during halftime of the game between the Detroit Lions and New York Jets at Ford Field.
Week 3: A fan looks on during warmups prior to the game between the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Week 2: Singer Taylor Swift watches the game between the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 2: The Canadian and U.S. anthems are sung during a pregame ceremony before the "Thursday Night Football" game between Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills at new Highmark Stadium.
Week 1: Singer Taylor Swift and actor Tom Cruise attend the "Monday Night Football" game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 1: Fans arrive ahead of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers won the first NFL game played in Australia, 27-7 .
Week 1: Kim Thayil of Soundgarden and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam perform during halftime of the 2026 NFL Kickoff Game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Lumen Field.
1 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: The mascot of the Arizona Cardinals, Big Red, performs before the game against the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 1 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: The mascot of the Arizona Cardinals, Big Red, performs before the game against the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 2 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: New England Patriots cheerleaders perform during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 3 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: San Francisco 49ers fans cheer as Brock Purdy #13 leaves the field after defeating the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) 4 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: A Seattle Seahawks fan cheers during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field on October 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) 5 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson does a Lambeau Leap after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears, 31-7 . (Sarah Kloepping, Green Bay Press-Gazette) 6 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: Fans look on from the stands during the game between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The game ended in a 27-27 tie . (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) 7 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: The mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jaxson de Ville, performs before the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Jaguars won the game, 19-17 . (Nathan Ray Seebeck, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 8 / 37 NFL Week 5 highlights, standout performances and reactions Week 5: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform before the "Thursday Night Football" game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on October 8, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) 9 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: Singer and songwriter Lainey Wilson dances with members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders before the "Thursday Night Football" game between the Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) 10 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: The San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders take the field before a game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. (Darren Yamashita, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 11 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: Seattle Seahawks fans hold cutouts of quarterback Sam Darnold prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Lumen Field. (Joe Nicholson, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 12 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: Houston Texans mascot Toro and Superfan pose for a photo prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium. (Thomas Shea, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 13 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders perform before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium. (Jonathan Dyer, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 14 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: A young fan of the Baltimore Ravens looks on before the start of the game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 15 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: Washington Commanders mascot Major Tuddy holds a camera during the second quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. (Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 16 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 3: Denver Broncos cheerleaders perform during the "Sunday Night Football" game against the Los Angeles Rams at Empower Field at Mile High.
Week 3: The Maracanã Stadium gets set to host the International Series game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Week 3: Corgi dog competitions take place during halftime of the game between the Detroit Lions and New York Jets at Ford Field.
Week 3: A fan looks on during warmups prior to the game between the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Week 2: Singer Taylor Swift watches the game between the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 2: The Canadian and U.S. anthems are sung during a pregame ceremony before the "Thursday Night Football" game between Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills at new Highmark Stadium.
Week 1: Singer Taylor Swift and actor Tom Cruise attend the "Monday Night Football" game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 1: Fans arrive ahead of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers won the first NFL game played in Australia, 27-7 .
Week 1: Kim Thayil of Soundgarden and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam perform during halftime of the 2026 NFL Kickoff Game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Lumen Field.
Wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. and Mike Evans have been ruled out, Shanahan said after Friday's practice.
Additional players that will sit out include star defensive lineman Nick Bosa, linebacker Garret Wallow, safety Marques Sigle and linebacker Luke Gifford.
Cornerbacks Siran Neal and Upton Stout are questionable for the game, as is wide receiver Christian Kirk.
Shanahan says the message is to not have a letdown game. The Falcons are 2-4, but Shanahan doesn't want the 49ers to overlook them.
"That's something we talk about a lot. It's every week. I think that's the hardest thing about the NFL, just how much a game takes out of people, how much a week of preparation takes out of people and how much doing it 17 times does," Shanahan told reporters. "That's what I think is one of our strengths. I think we've got guys who understand how this league works. They understand what has to go into it and they know that anyone can beat you."
"I think when you have situations where we've won a number of games and we've got a bye-week ahead of us, it really helps when you can turn on the film and just show them," he added. "When you turn on Atlanta's film, they know how big of a challenge this is. We've got a number of guys down. We know they do, too, but they're a team that, I know the record doesn't show it, but they're a team that should be there in the end."
Here's the San Francisco 49ers' injury report as of Friday, Oct. 23:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 49ers injury report for Week 7 vs. Falcons: Nick Bosa, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel all out
Source: Sports
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