Albert Breer on why 49ers might want to rest ailing players vs. Vikings

During a recent conversation with Rich Eisen, Albert Breer raised an intriguing point about the San Francisco 49ers' approach to their injured players ahead of the Monday night face-off against the Minnesota Vikings. Among the ailing players are running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

McCaffrey sustained an oblique injury during last Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, while Samuel was sidelined with a shoulder issue. Also concerning is Trent Williams' ankle, an injury in which the offensive tackle played through in Cleveland.

Fortunately, all three players' injuries are classified as day-to-day, indicating each escaped long-term injuries.

Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer wonders whether it might be prudent for the 49ers to rest their injured players against the Vikings. His reasoning has more to do with the venue where they will play.

U.S. Bank Stadium boasts a slit film turf, a type of surface that, according to data from the NFL and NFLPA, has produced a higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries compared to other types of turfs, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert.

"There were six stadiums that had it last year," Breer told Eisen on Thursday. "Three of those stadiums switched out the turf—New Orleans, Detroit, and MetLife all switched out the turf. That means there are three left that have that surface. Minnesota is one of those three."

The Vikings are slated to replace their turf after this season. Nevertheless, the 49ers are set to play on it Monday night.

Breer notes that the 49ers might want to look at the bigger picture. Odds are, they will be in the playoffs. While they aim for better seeding, the health of their players has to be a priority, especially given the setbacks they faced in the 2020 season due to playing on a similar surface at MetLife Stadium.

"Do they tap the brakes on some of their guys who are hurt here, knowing what that surface is?" Breer wonders. "And so, again, it's one of three surfaces left in the NFL. It's Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Cincinnati that still have what's called the slit film turf.

"And I'll be really interested to see how the Niners handle that going into Minnesota on Monday night, especially when, you know, on the other end of it, too, you've got a short week."