49ers ease into ramp-up for two NFC West games in five days

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers’ injury list was a lengthy one Wednesday, and only time will tell if they’ll be without some key players in Week 5 or if it was more of a precaution due to the upcoming schedule and a blistering hot day.

Middle linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) and tight end George Kittle (ribs) were spared practice in what was the hottest practice of the year at 97 degrees. So were defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), wide receiver Jacob Cowing (shoulder), wide receiver Chris Conley (oblique) and linebacker Dee Winters (ankle).

Those who were limited were defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (knee), safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle), defensive tackle Kevin Givens (triceps) and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (ankle).

Given that Warner wasn’t able to finish a 30-13 win over New England and Kittle did, his status is of the most concern. He was spotted jogging without a limp off to the side during the media viewing window at practice.

The seventh-year linebacker has been spectacular the first four games of the season, capped by a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown against New England, and is a candidate to win the second NFL Player of the Month award in his career.

Warner, who said Sunday he would have returned to the game if he could, wasn’t making any proclamations either way about his status for the Arizona game. Asked how he was feeling, Warner smiled and said, “Wonderful. Legendary, as they say” and then was understandably vague about the injury.

“My plan is to obviously play,” Warner said. “I’m just going to continue to listen to what the training room wants me to do and take it one day at a time.”

Coach Kyle Shanahan said all injured players were “day to day” as they were on Monday, meaning there hasn’t been any setbacks or additional information which would preclude them from having a chance to play. But he is taking the injuries into account with the Cardinals coming to Levi’s Stadium Sunday and then a quick turnaround to face Seattle on the road Thursday night.

“We’ve got a lot of guys banged up and the heat the way it is, we’re taking some stuff off guys today,” said Shanahan, whose team will play twice in five days. “We probably would have done it regardless, but with another game (so soon), it definitely made that decision easier.”

Defensive end Nick Bosa sees the NFC West games as a crucial stretch and looks forward to some time off after playing Seattle.

“Every game is big, division opponents count twice, and we have a mini-bye after the Thursday game,” Bosa said. “Getting two wins here, obviously it starts with Arizona, would be huge.”

MUSTAPHA’S STARTING DEBUT

Rookie safety Malik Mustapha thought he had a “solid” debut while playing all 64 defensive snaps in place of Hufanga at safety, but the fourth-round pick from Wake Forest enjoyed himself the most while serving as a blocker for Warner on his touchdown.

After Warner made the leaping catch, Mustapha sprinted toward the middle of the field and leveled one unsuspecting potential tackler.

“It felt like playground football, just looking out for my guy trying to score on defense,” Mustapha said. “I saw whoever was in front of me at the time and I just took my shot.”

The only flagrant mistake, other than a dropped interception when the game was already decided, was when Mustapha allowed Rhamondre Stevenson to get outside of him on a third-and-6 play and convert a first down with a 7-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett.

The error wasn’t being overly excited so much as it was being a little too conservative.

“I stopped my feet and that’s why he was able to get outside,” Mustapha said. “It’s on me for not playing the style of football I’m used to play After that I was able to trust my instincts and play as fast as possible.”

FORTIFYING DEFENSIVE DEPTH

The 49ers made two moves to help compensate for injuries, signing linebacker Jalen Graham off the practice squad of the Washington Commanders and starting the clock on defensive tackle Kalia Davis, who had minor knee surgery late in the preseason.

Graham, a seventh-round draft pick a year ago, knows the system and can pick up where he left off and could end up seeing the field against Arizona depending on the health of Warner, Winters and Flannigan-Fowles. Another linebacker, Curtis Robinson, is out for the year after a torn ACL.

“With his athleticism, his smarts and his feel for the game I think he can help us in a lot of ways,” Warner said.

Graham played in four games for the 49ers as a rookie seventh-round draft pick out of Purdue, exclusively on special teams.

“Monday was the first time I talked to them,” Graham said. “They just let me know they wanted me to come back on the 53-man and it went from there. I’m excited they brought  me back and I’m ready to work.”

Washington’s general manager is Adam Peters, who was the assistant G.M. to John Lynch when the 49ers drafted Graham.

“Jalen was a guy we didn’t want to lose,” Shanahan said. “He was a hard guy to let go of. We were really hoping to keep him on practice squad, but A.P. stole him so we had to steal him back.”

As for Davis, the 49ers have 21 days to either put him on the 53-man roster or on injured reserve. Shanahan isn’t expecting to use the whole 21 days.

“Hopefully this week,” Shanahan said. “We’ll watch him this week, see how he does. But we would love to get him up.”

QUICK HITS

— The 49ers are not yet ready to start the 21-day clock on rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr., who sustained a gunshot wound to the chest in a robbery attempt on Aug. 31 in San Francisco.

“We just don’t feel he’s ready this week,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan also said the shoulder subluxation that was nagging at Pearsall during training camp was no longer an issue.

— Will Kyle Juszczyk continue in the role of the NFL’s only fullback who also returns punts? If Cowing can’t play, it’s a possibility.

“He’ll be starting the rest of the year,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan was probably kidding, but Juszczyk, when subbing for Cowing against New England, returned a punt eight yards when it was requested he simply execute a fair catch. Cowing is averaging 5.3 yards on six returns with a long of nine yards.

“I think Kyle is one of the more poised, clutch or the game’s not too big for him people I’ve ever been around,” Shanahan said. “Ask anybody. I don’t care how good your hands are, but just to get thrown into an NFL game and go catch a punt isn’t very easy.”

— Christian McCaffrey was at the facility but not on the field. Shanahan had no updates on whether the Achilles tendinitis in both legs was subsiding. Although it’s highly unlikely to happen, McCaffery is eligible to come off injured reserve after the Arizona game.

“I don’t have an update on Christian every day, because when guys are on IR, I focus more on what we’re doing that week and that day,” Shanahan said.  “I know he is rehabbing.”

— Wide receiver Terique Owens, son of former 49er Terrell Owens, was signed to the practice squad, as was defensive lineman Jonathan Garvin. Terique Owens was with the 49ers during training camp. Defensive lineman Shakel Brown was released from the practice squad.