Colton McKivitz has an MCL sprain and will ‘be out awhile’; Willie Snead has been released

Jauan Jennings is day-to-day with an ankle injury

Kyle’s update, 2:06 PM PT: The 49ers released Willie Snead roughly 24 hours after promoting him to the active roster. Snead did not step onto the field Monday night. With Jimmie Ward eligible to return, I’d bet he’ll take Snead’s roster spot.

The 49ers didn’t escape Monday night without some bad news. Already down the best left tackle on the planet, Trent Williams, his backup, will be “out awhile,” per Kyle Shanahan. In addition, Colton McKivitz suffered an MCL sprain Monday night.

Shanahan said the injury is similar to what Elijah Mitchell and Azeez Al-Shaair went through. There’s no timetable, but it could mean McKivitz is out for a couple of months. We’ll see if the 49ers put McKivitz on the injured reserve.

Jaylon Moore played seven snaps last night but only had one true pass-pro snap. He’ll have to improve on the fly. The only other option is Blake Hance, who the team picked up off waivers from the Browns.

It’s important to note that each team only gets to designate eight players to return per year from the injured reserve. So far, the 49ers have Jimmie Ward, Elijah Mitchell, Jason Verrett, Jordan Willis, and Azeez Al-Shaair as potential candidates.

Speaking of Verrett and Ward, both players are eligible to return to practice this week. Shanahan said he expects both players to practice Wednesday. The 49ers head coach said this team has the potential to be the best secondary he’s had given how they cover and tackle, but doesn’t believe they are there just yet.

Deommodore Lenoir has played well. Has he been good enough to stay on the field over Verrett or Tashaun Gipson? The Niners could go several different ways in the secondary. We could see Emmanuel Moseley move inside, Jimmie Ward drop down in the slot with Gipson staying on the field, or leave things as they are considering the level this unit is playing at.

The 49ers have a problem in the secondary, and for the first time in a long time, it’s a good one. There’s depth alongside the talent. We’ll see if they slow-roll Verrett back into the lineup. Ward doesn’t have to worry about a job. He’ll be on the field in some capacity.

Jauan Jennings suffered an ankle injury. He’ll be day-to-day this week. He got off to a fast start with two receptions on the opening drive but only played 18 snaps all game.

Arik Armstead is still being evaluated for a foot/ankle injury. Shanahan said the ankle is a part of Arik’s foot injury, so it’s not new.

Javon Kinlaw “put up a big fight to try to play, but he wasn’t that close to going.” We’ll see if a week off helps Kinlaw recover from a knee injury.