SANTA CLARA — George Kittle and Fred Warner pulled on their 49ers jerseys over their respective shoulder pads Thursday but ended up missing their second straight practice because of injuries.
Both 49ers’ stars did some light conditioning work amid a 94-degree scorcher, keeping alive hope they could play Sunday when the 49ers (2-2) host the Arizona Cardinals (1-3).
“I feel great today,” Kittle said at his locker after practice. Two weeks ago, he missed the 49ers’ loss at the Los Angeles Rams because of a hamstring injury. The 49ers announced Sunday that Kittle injured his ribs amid their 30-13 win over the New England Patriots.
Kittle has six touchdown catches in 12 career games against the Cardinals. Eric Saubert and Jake Tonges are the roster’s other active tight ends.
Keep in mind, the 49ers have a quick turnaround after Sunday’s game, with fellow NFC West foe Seattle hosting them on Thursday night.
“They’re two guys that, if they don’t practice, they’re still two guys who can definitely play on Sunday, so hopefully they’ll get there,” coach Kyle Shanahan said of Kittle and Warner on KNBR 680-AM.
When it comes to contingency plans, the 49ers are especially thin at linebacker if Warner must miss only the second game of his seven-year career. He headed to the weight room after doing some light work on the side for some 15 minutes.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Warner’s understudy at mike linebacker, did not practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday by a calf injury. Other linebackers available are De’Vondre Campbell — the weak-side starter in place of the still-rehabilitating Dre Greenlaw — as well as second-year prospect Dee Winters, rookie Tatum Bethune and the recently re-signed Jalen Graham.
Winters said he fully expects to play through an ankle injury he’s battled since the preseason finale, and while he projects more as a weak-side linebacker, he’s looking forward to facing Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray for the first time. “He has the quickness, the speed. He can do it all. He can create separation for the receivers with all the running he does,” Winters said.
Also not practicing were defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and wide receivers Jacob Cowing (shoulder) and Chris Conley (oblique). Limited were winters, cornerback Isaac Yiadom (thigh), safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle), defensive tackles Jordan Elliott (knee) and Kevin Givens (triceps).
HEATING UP
Levi’s Stadium has never hosted a 49ers game with a kickoff temperature over 90 degrees. Highs in Santa Clara are forecast to remain in the 90s through Monday.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel, a South Carolina native, is not sweating that heat, saying: “I’m from the South, man. It’s no problem. We’ll be alright. But 90 degrees is still hot.”
Here are the hottest kickoff temperatures at Levi’s Stadium since it opened in 2014:
88 degrees: Oct. 3, 2021 vs. Seahawks, 28-21 loss
87: Sept. 10, 2017 vs. Panthers, 23-3 loss
87: Oct. 7, 2019 vs. Browns, 31-3 win
86: Oct. 18, 2020 vs. LA Rams, 24-16 win
85: Oct. 5, 2014 vs. Chiefs, 22-17 loss
84: Oct. 4, 2020 vs. Eagles, 25-20 loss
82: Nov. 1, 2018 vs. Raiders, 34-3 win
“I feel like every time (at Levi’s), the sun’s hitting, it’s a beautiful green, it’s exciting to be out there,” the Cardinals’ Murray told Arizona reporters. He hasn’t played in their past three visits after losing his initial appearance in 2019 (36-26, 72 degrees) and winning in 2020 (24-20, 66 degrees).
BIG PLAY MACHINE
No one is producing more big plays than the 49ers’ trio of Brock Purdy (most completions over 20 yards; 18), Jordan Mason (most rushes of at least 10 yards; 13) and Jauan Jennings (tied for most receptions of at least 20 yards; seven). The 49ers overall have totaled 34 of so-called “big plays,” second only to the Green Bay Packers’ 38. Since 2022, the 49ers’ 300 big plays are the league’s most, 24 more than No. 2 Baltimore.
NO HONORS FOR WARNER
Warner’s torrid start to the season did not land him any NFC player-of-the-week honors. Thursday it was announced that the NFC Defensive Player of the Month was Detroit Lions defensive end Aiden Hutchinson (6 ½ sacks, NFL-high 25 pressures). Warner’s first four games: three forced fumbles, two interceptions (one returned for an interception Sunday), four passes defensed, 27 tackles and one sack.
The NFC Offensive Player of the Month is former 49ers backup Sam Darnold, who’s quarterbacked the Minnesota Vikings to a 4-0 start while leading the NFL in touchdown passes (11) and passer rating (118.9). The 49ers’ Purdy has a NFL-best average of 9.3 yards per pass and the second-most yards (1,130) with the sixth-best passer rating (104.9).
HALL OF FAME OUTLOOK
Roger Craig and Jim Plunkett are among 60 Seniors Category nominees to advance in Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 voting. Craig ranks third in 49ers history in both rushing yards and receptions, from his 1983-90 tenure; he was a 2023 semifinalist among the Hall of Fame’s seniors nominees, and a 2020 and 2010 modern-era finalist. Plunkett, a San Jose native and Heisman Trophy winner at Stanford, played for the 49ers from 1976-77, then won two Super Bowl titles with the Raiders.
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TV TIMEOUT
Tom Brady will broadcast his first official 49ers game as a Fox analyst, although he attended the Aug. 18 preseason game against New Orleans as a dress rehearsal. “I’m not sure why he took this job. He’s probably working harder on the weekends now than when he played,” Joe Montana told Fox Sports’ Eric Williams. Montana will be watching (and listening) from home rather than attend this game, by the way.