The latest out of San Francisco..
- 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis was placed on season-ending injured reserve for his toe injury yesterday and the problem has been plaguing him for a long time, writes Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. “That’s kind of the way I’ve been playing for the last few years,” the 49ers inside linebacker said Tuesday. “I know a lot of people may not see it or at times saw a certain thing that was uncharacteristic, but that’s all because I was trying to find a way to compensate, to be able to continue to go out there and play. And it just got to the point where I couldn’t put the torque or the force that I needed to continue to grow and be a better linebacker.”
- When asked if receiver Michael Crabtree is putting too much pressure on himself in his contract year, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh twice responded that “He’s a tremendous competitor” and indicated that he sees nothing wrong with his performance, writes Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News. Crabtree, meanwhile, sounded frustrated with his role after the team’s overtime win on Sunday. While he’s looking for No. 1 receiver money, he has stats this season that make him look more like a No. 2 or 3 option.
- Center Marcus Martin is the latest player to shine from the 49ers’ stellar 2014 rookie class, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Martin is one of several rookies contributing this season, a class that includes nickel back Jimmie Ward, running back Carlos Hyde, linebacker Chris Borland, wide receiver/return specialist Bruce Ellington, cornerback Dontae Johnson, and outside linebacker Aaron Lynch.