A foot keeps him off the plane
The 49ers left for Australia. Sam Okuayinonu did not.
San Francisco announced shortly before departure that the defensive end would not board the flight to Melbourne, where the team opens the regular season against the Rams next week. A foot injury is the reason.
Missing the team plane normally settles the question. Not this time. The 49ers have listed Okuayinonu as questionable, and the door stays open for him to travel separately later in the week if the foot responds to treatment.
Try it for $0.99.
More than a rotation piece
The listing matters more than his projected role suggests. Okuayinonu started 12 regular-season games last year and both playoff games. He was slotted as a backup this season, but as one expected to take a serious share of snaps in the defensive line rotation.
Remove him and San Francisco heads into the league’s first regular-season game in Australia with less front-seven depth than planned. That is the part nobody can rehearse: an opener 8,000 miles from home, on a surface and a schedule the roster has never worked with.
Kittle and Bosa made the flight
The better news for the 49ers sat on the plane. George Kittle and Nick Bosa both travelled, both having spent the summer rehabbing injuries, and every indication points to the pair starting against the Rams after weeks of doubt about their availability.
San Francisco is treating the trip itself as a competitive question. The team left a full week early to absorb the time change and prepare on site. The Rams do not arrive in Australia until the day before kickoff.
Two clubs, one stadium in Melbourne, and two entirely different bets on what jet lag does to a football team.
Discover the rest of our NFL news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply