San Francisco has been dealing with depth issues at the cornerback position and it is likely to get thinner. Emmanuel Moseley left Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks in the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Per head coach Kyle Shanahan, Moseley suffered a high-ankle sprain and is likely to miss several weeks.
Moseley was having an underrated season thus far, notching 10 passes defended, while also allowing a completion percentage of just 56 percent heading into Sunday's game. He had also not allowed a touchdown catch in 51 targets, according to Pro Football Reference.
With Moseley expected to miss some time, the 49ers could look to their two rookie draft picks to emerge from the group, in addition to veteran corner Dontae Johnson, who closed out the game following a brief appearance by Deommodore Lenoir .
"We'll see how the week plays out," Shanahan said. "We're obviously struggling in that area. And losing E-Man definitely doesn't make it easier. We're going to keep having the young guys compete and hopefully they can get more and more ready. Demo did a couple of good things in the game, but then struggled on some things also. I'm happy with Ambry Thomas and how he played on special teams. I thought that was his best game by far on special teams, having three tackles on it and doing the right thing on those. Hopefully those two can up their game and push Dontae and Norman (Josh Norman) a little bit. But those are the guys that we've got."
If cornerback is a position of concern, San Francisco's woes at running back could become worrisome. Elijah Mitchell briefly left Sunday's game after suffering a head injury. After being evaluated on the sideline, the rookie was cleared to return and finished the game with 66 yards on 22 carries and a score, while also catching all three of his targets for another 18 yards. Despite being re-evaluated postgame, Mitchell experienced symptoms on Monday morning, placing him back in the concussion protocol.
Fellow running back Jeff Wilson Jr. was seen sprinting on the sidelines in what appeared to be an attempt to test his recently surgically repaired meniscus. Per Shanahan, Wilson Jr.'s knee "flared up" on him, however, the team doesn't expect him to miss time. It's likely to be something that the team monitors throughout the rest of the season.
"When people come back from a big injury… people have things flare up and that's what happened with Jeff a couple times," Shanahan explained. "It happened a little bit in the game and that's why he was struggling a little bit. But that's why he wasn't taken out either. He was there in case of emergency. And I know it's doing a little bit better today. Like it has been, I'm sure it'll get better each day as we go."
Currently, JaMycal Hasty is the lone healthy running back on the 49ers roster. Hasty is a week removed from returning from a lingering ankle injury and played just one snap on offense on Sunday. Fellow backup Trenton Cannon is also in the concussion protocol after being released from the hospital on Monday after the scary scene to open the game. The 49ers expect to work out free agent running backs this week to add depth to the position in the chance that Mitchell or Wilson Jr. are unable to dress. San Francisco can also sign an unprotected player from a team's practice squad should they chose to go that route.
The team will return to the SAP Performance Facility on Wednesday to begin preparations for their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, where the picture could become clearer on who's available for Week 14.
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Shanahan also provided updates on Fred Warner and Deebo Samuel, who did not play in Sunday's matchup while working through injuries. Click here for an update on their status heading into Week 14.
