Two Star 49ers Players Miss the First Week 8 Practice

The 49ers have a handful of players missing their first Week 8 practice. It is headlined by two star players who are nursing an injury.

October 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) catches the football against Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers have a long list of players missing from their first Week 8 practice.

Headlining that list are two of their star players: George Kittle (foot) and Deebo Samuel (wrist/illness). Kittle sustained a foot sprain in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Samuel is still dealing with a wrist injury he suffered in Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks.

On top of that, he is recovering from pneumonia. It's been a brutal last two weeks for Samuel. He tried to give it a go against the Chiefs but couldn't battle through his illness. Tip of the cap for him trying to tough it out. It shows how much he wanted to play and help his team. He ended up hospitalized on Monday and is now recovering.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan is giving him a chance to be active this week against the Dallas Cowboys. It will depend if he can get one practice in. Still, it feels like a long shot considering how serious the illness was. The same goes for Kittle. Shanahan is hoping he doesn't miss the upcoming game with a foot sprain.

It might be best to hold him out, but Kittle is a player who typically plays through injury. The 49ers may feel desperate to have him out there, especially if Samuel cannot go. The 49ers enter their Bye Week after playing the Cowboys, which will only entice Kittle to play through it. They could just place him on a snap count so that he doesn't worsen his injury.

The passing offense for the 49ers is in a freefall thanks to all of the injuries. Brandon Aiyuk is out for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL against the Chiefs. Samuel and Kittle will likely not be 100 percent against the Cowboys. There is also a chance that Jauan Jennings (hip) is inactive for a second consecutive game.

Week 8 looks like the perfect time for the rookies to step up. This is where doubling down in the 2024 NFL draft on Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing should pay off. It's time for the 49ers to see if one or both of these players can join the other rookies who are making an amazing impact on the team.

Other players who missed Wednesday's practice: Jennings (hip), Jake Moody (ankle), Kevin Givens (groin), George Odum (knee) and Trent Williams (rest).

Read more: Why the 49ers Shouldn't Trade for a Wide Receiver