Shanahan expects QB Mullens to start for 49ers
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said Nick Mullens likely will be the 49ers’ starter Sunday against the New York Giants.
Jimmy Garoppolo is dealing with a high right ankle sprain suffered in last weekend’s 31-13 victory over the New York Jets.
“I’ll be surprised if Jimmy gets back later in the week,” Shanahan said Wednesday, per the San Francisco Chronicle. “Nick is ready to go. He got a lot of playing time with us in 2018, and that prepared him for moments like this.”
Mullens, 25, completed 8 of 11 passes for 71 yards with one interception in relief against the Jets. In 2018, he was 3-5 as a starter and completed 64.2 percent of his throws for 2,277 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 picks.
Shanahan also said running back Tevin Coleman is headed to injured reserve with a knee sprain that is expected to keep him out of the lineup for at least four weeks.
Coleman, 27, has rushed 18 times for 30 yards and has three catches for 34 yards this season. The former Atlanta Falcon gained 724 yards from scrimmage and scored seven TDs in his first season with the 49ers in 2019.
Garoppolo, Coleman, running back Raheem Mostert (MCL sprain) and defensive end Dee Ford (back) did not practice Wednesday.
Nick Bosa, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, is out for the season with a torn ACL that he sustained Sunday.
Some good news for San Francisco was the limited participation of All-Pro tight end George Kittle in Wednesday’s practice. Kittle missed the win against the Jets with a sprained left knee.
–Field Level Media
