The San Francisco 49ers are going to be extremely shorthanded on offense, but they'll get a welcomed reinforcement on Thursday.
Following a false-positive COVID-19 test by Kendrick Bourne that affected a few players, Jordan Reed was activated by the 49ers for Thursday night's game, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Bourne produced a positive COVID-19 test. It was then shared that Bourne was in close contact with Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk, ruling them out in Week 9 versus the Green Bay Packers.
Besides Williams and Aiyuk, the 49ers will also be without Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Tevin Coleman. Meanwhile, Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert are also on injured reserve, giving San Francisco a thin group of offensive weapons.
As for Reed, the veteran tight end joined the 49ers before the 2020 season, reuniting him with Kyle Shanahan. Reed would have some success earlier this season when he filled in for Kittle.
In the first three games of the season, Reed combined for 11 receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns. However, similar to his time in Washington, Reed suffered another injury during San Francisco's Week 3 victory over the New York Giants.
With Reed being activated in time for Thursday night's contest, he'll likely share reps with Ross Dwelley at tight end. But with the wide receiver corps leaning on Trent Taylor and Kevin White, Reed may see a prominent role in his first game back.
Even though he's spent over a month on injured reserve, Reed is likely going to be thrust into a ton of action in the rematch of last year's NFC Championship Game.