Christian Kirk joins 49ers’ preparations for Commanders on ‘Monday Night Football’

SANTA CLARA – Christian Kirk didn’t travel with the 49ers to Australia, nor did he attend Sunday’s NFC West triumph in Seattle. Instead, he was left here, working back from a calf injury he sustained the opening day of training camp and has aggravated since then.

“Obviously it’s been hard not being out there, but it’s been really cool to watch how this team comes to work every single day,” Kirk said Thursday. “I’m excited to get into the mix and hopefully provide some other production to help us win some more games.”

The 49ers (5-0) welcomed Kirk to practice Thursday amid a skeleton receiver corps, and they have three weeks to evaluate when or if he can come off Injured Reserve, the first of eight such moves allowed this regular season for an injury-riddled roster.

“He’s had some setbacks since the start of training camp so it’s been taking a while,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He had a real good week, an awesome weekend, and he’s ready to give it a go.”

The 49ers’ wide receiver unit needs his proven skill set – and that of almost anyone. Kirk is a ninth-year veteran with 432 career catches in his stints in Arizona, Jacksonville and Houston.

“I’ve had some years playing against guys in this locker room,” Kirk said. “Seeing it from afar and playing against it is one thing, but now being in the building and seeing the approach, the mentality, the mindset has been the coolest thing for me, and how the leadership takes over and applies it on Sunday, it’s cool, and I’m ready to be a part of it on the field.”

So many others are not ready.

Deebo Samuel’s hamstring injury in Sunday’s 32-29 win in Seattle kept him away from Thursday’s practice, but he isn’t likely to go on Injured Reserve, seeing how just two games remain before the 49ers’ bye, including Monday night’s between the host 49ers (5-0) and the Washington Commanders (1-3-1).

Leading wide receiver Mike Evans did not practice Thursday because of ribs and what Shanahan downplayed as a “sore” Achilles. The roll call of others sidelined: Demarcus Robinson (ankle) must remain on IR through at least one more game; De’Zhaun Stribling (ankle) is unlikely to return for at least another month; and Ricky Pearsall had season-ending knee surgery two months ago, though Pearsall said Thursday he’s finally pain-free after doctors replaced his right knee’s posterior cruciate ligament with a left-hamstring tendon.

Thus, Jordan Watkins and Brandin Cooks led Thursday’s wide receiver drills, but right behind them were Kirk and Jacob Cowing.

Kirk, who turns 30 on Nov. 18, has 432 career catches for 5,415 yards and 30 touchdowns. In last season’s playoffs, he had 144 yards and a touchdown in the Texans’ wild-card upset at Pittsburgh, then he scored again to give Houston its only lead in an eventual divisional-round loss at New England.

PURDY-EVANS COMBINATION

General manager John Lynch said in the offseason how great it was to have Kirk and Evans — “two grown men” — join the receivers’ room, and it’s coming to fruition. Count Kirk among the admirers of Evans’ instant connection with Brock Purdy.

“In my opinion, it’s not surprising. Both those guys are great players,” Kirk said. “Mike’s been doing it a long time. But watching what they did Sunday in Seattle, kind of taking over that game late, was really fun to watch.”

Pearsall said the Purdy-Evans combination is “super cool to see. I wish I were there first-hand as a dynamic duo.”

Evans, despite injuring ribs in Week 3, leads the 49ers with 24 receptions and 326 yards; his three touchdowns are one off George Kittle’s lead.

Shanahan recited a humorous tale from last month’s trip to Australia in which he quizzed Purdy on how up to speed he was with Evans, who had missed chunks of training camp with soft tissue injuries.

“I did that jokingly because I knew Mike hadn’t had any reps in like two weeks and Brock got all stressed. He’s like, ‘Well, I haven’t got to yet.’ And I was like, ‘I’m just joking, dude. We’ve run out of time. We’ll see how it goes this week,’” he recalled. “Those guys didn’t get a ton of reps out of it, but it just shows how natural Mike is, how natural Brock is, and that it seems like they’ve been working on that stuff for a long time.”

HEALTH UPDATES

Defensive end Nick Bosa remained out of practice after missing the past three games with a calf injury, but Shanahan is not ruling him out for Monday’s game.

Also not practicing were defensive tackles Gracen Halton (quadriceps) and James Thompson (ankle); linebacker Garrett Wallow (hamstring); and, safety Marques Seigel (ankle).

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, out last game with a hyperextended knee, returned in limited action, along with right tackle Colton McKivitz (illness) and safety Siran Neal (neck).

OTHER MOVES

Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo returned to the 53-man roster after being shifted to the practice squad last weekend and elevated for Sunday’s game.

Filling that practice squad spot is linebacker Eugene Asante, a 2025 undrafted free agent who’s yet to play in an NFL game. Asante was signed to help a linebacker corps missing Dre Greenlaw (one-game suspension) and Garrett Wallow (hamstring). Tatum Bethune, a healthy scratch all season, and practice-squad reserve Jalen Graham are options to make their season debuts.