49ers’ without Samuel, Lenoir in season finale at Arizona

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers will be without some key players when they visit the Arizona Cardinals Sunday to close out the regular season.

Which sounds about right for a 6-10 team that has 15 players on injured reserve and another on the physically unable to perform list.

Arizona has lost five of its last six games and is 7-9, so both teams will get an early start on the 2025 season.

Among those listed as “out” Friday by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan were wide receiver Deebo Samuel (rib/wrist), cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder), quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder), tackle Spencer Burford (calf) and defensive end Ronald Beal (ankle).

Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf) was listed as doubtful, while those who were questionable and likely to play include tight end George Kittle (ankle/hamstring), tackle Colton McKivitz (knee), safety Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle) and cornerback Isaac Yiadom (pelvis).

Defensive end Nick Bosa, who missed some practice time earlier in the week with a knee issue, was taken off the injury list entirely and conceded it was a strange feeling to be shutting it down after Sunday’s game.

“I feel like my body is ready for the run, like it’s used to kind of going through a season, struggle to get through and then kind of rebound and get ready,” Bosa said. “There will be no reason for that this year but finishing strong is what we’re trying to do.”

If the game had a playoff implications, Shanahan said things would be different

“Guys would be pushing real hard to play and we’d probably let ‘em,” Shanahan said. “In this case they’re pushing hard to play and we’re not going to let ‘em.”

Without the focus of a playoff run, the 49ers will have a chance to begin planning for 2025 much earlier.

“I’d be much more excited to go all the way to February again, but that is tough when you go that long,” Shanahan said. “Everybody needs to get away and by the time you get back is usually right when free agency is starting and you’re not quite there yet. I think this will be the first time since COVID being off in January.”

Bosa thinks the additional time off will be good for a reset.

“I think we kind of needed it as a team,” Bosa said. “It’s definitely a grind. It’s only one more month but adding one more month to what you’ve already done feels like three months. It’s a huge, huge thing.”

JUSZCZYK HAS NO PLANS TO RETIRE

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk was named to his ninth Pro Bowl (eight with the 49ers) and has designs on making a run at No. 10 in 2025.

“I know I have at least a few more years. I’ll play it by ear from there,” Juszczyk, 33, said. “I definitely want to continue to play. I still feel I’m at the top of my game. I still feel as healthy as I possibly could be. so I know I have at least a few more.”

Juszczyk took a pay cut prior to this season and is under contract through 2025, at a $4.1 million salary. He’s played in every game this season, and his touchdown catch Monday night assured him of at least one in each of his years with the 49ers.

The nine Pro Bowls are the most ever by a fullback, a position that Juszczyk never intended to play.

“I honestly never even watched fullbacks, I never wanted to be a fullback. That was not the goal,” said Juszczyk, who wanted to become a wide receiver and grew up idolizing Wayne Chrebet and tight end Dallas Clark. “But fullback got me employed.”

Juszczyk’s wife, Kristin, announced Thursday she’s launching a NFL-licensed apparel line called Off Season that hits the market Tuesday, in partnership with Emma Grede and Fanatics. “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited for that, and yesterday was a big for us to announce the launch,” Juszczyk said. “We’ve wanted this to happen for so long, and I know so many fans have.”

PURDY’S ‘FUNNY BONE’

General manager John Lynch downplayed any notion that Purdy’s elbow injury is more serious than the team is letting on.

Shanahan all but ruled Purdy out on Tuesday the day after the Lions game, and named Josh Dobbs the starter Wednesday. The quick hook gave rise to speculation that Purdy’s elbow, which had UCL replacement surgery after the 2022 season, was a concern.

“It’s really nothing more than like when you hit your funny bone,” Lynch said on his weekly appearance on KNBR-680. “When you get hit in the wrong place, it irritated the nerves a little . . . just caused some numbness. Everything’s all right. Brock’s going to be fine.”

Shanahan said during a normal week, Purdy would probably be testing his elbow Friday in hopes of playing.

Lynch said everyone had input into the decision to sit Purdy for the finale, but that ultimately the call was made by team doctors.

LENOIR’S `SNUB’

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir wasn’t happy when he learned he was a Pro Bowl alternate rather than part of the cornerback quartet selected for the NFC. The former fifth-round draft pick took to X to vent his frustration, including one that said, “Don’t ever let them tell you Draft status doesn’t matter.”

The cornerbacks were Jaylon Johnson of Chicago, Byron Murphy of Minnesota, Devon Weatherspoon of Minnesota and Xavier McKinney of Green Bay.

Lenoir has already signed a five-year contract extension worth a maximum of $92 million.

“It’s always been a thing and seems like it’s never going to change that the first year you really deserve to be in the Pro Bowl, it takes another year and you’ll be there,” Lynch said. “I think D-Mo is going to be just fine. I really, truly believe his play warranted it.”

Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said the perceived snub will only make Lenoir better.

“Guys that are really competitive will use anything for motivation and I think he can just add that to the mix,” Sorensen said.