The San Francisco 49ers have Eli Harold penciled in as their starting strong side (SAM) linebacker, but he also might miss this weekend’s game with a knee injury. Harold suffered the injury in the preseason opener against Dallas, and is listed as day-to-day. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said it is a knee contusion and should not be a big deal, but he will be a name to watch for when the 49ers open joint practices with the Houston Texans on Wednesday.
Regardless of his status, the SAM position has a competition underway for a reserve role.