A lot of duct tape has been used on the 49ers running back room.
Kerryon Johnson has officially been brought up to the active roster from the practice squad, which means he will be available for the 49ers to use against the Packers.
Here is what Kyle Shanahan had to say about the readiness of Johnson.
“He's done a real good job and he's a week ahead of Jacques which helps him. But he's done a good job. He's taken advantage of his opportunities.”
The activation of Johnson from the practice squad is nothing surprising. The 49ers really had no choice and it was already hinted by Shanahan earlier in the week. There is a good chance Johnson gets a bit of carries on Sunday night against the Packers. As I stated earlier, the 49ers used a lot of duct tape on the running back room. It is just a patchwork job at this point.
Elijah Mitchell is listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury, so I wouldn't expect him to be available. It all falls on Trey Sermon as the most familiar player in the backfield, but you have to wonder how much run he is going to get. Shanahan didn't favor him beforehand and he is coming off of a concussion. He practiced almost all week in the blue no-contact practice jersey, so his readiness could be iffy.
This is a game where the 49ers are going to really need their defense to come through and possibly rely on the arm of Jimmy Garoppolo. He needs to be able to hit the on schedule throws and potentially even carry the weight of the offense for a time. He certainly can do it against the average defense of the Packers. It just really is on him.
Either way, Johnson and Jacques Patrick will be there to backup Sermon should it go wrong.
More must-reads: