Kirk Is Expected Back Sunday, and San Francisco Will Need Every Snap He Can Give

Evans out, Samuel out, Bosa out — the 49ers posted their official ruled-out list Friday and it reads like a depth chart audit gone wrong. Kyle Shanahan confirmed all three won't play against Atlanta, which means the receiver room that was already operating on fumes heads into Week 7 with its leading pass-catcher on the sideline. Evans had been the clearest answer to a problem this team has been managing since before the season started; 420 yards and three touchdowns in six games, and now Achilles tendinitis has him watching.

The news that softens it slightly: a wideout is expected to make his season debut Sunday. The grounding identifies him as Kirk, and at this point San Francisco will take whoever can run a route and stay upright. Jordan Watkins has been the most reliable option in the room — 182 yards and a touchdown in four games — and Purdy has kept the offense functional regardless, sitting at 1,489 yards and 14 touchdowns against just two interceptions through seven games. The quarterback is not the problem.

Bosa's absence on defense is the other piece worth watching. He declared two weeks ago he'd definitely be back for this game; Shanahan ruled him out Friday. The defense has played well enough without him, and Raheem Morris returning to Atlanta as defensive coordinator adds a small subplot. But the pass rush is thinner than it should be at this stage of the season.

San Francisco is 6-0 and the NFC's top seed with 11 games left. The record is real. So is the roster math.