49ers elevate Snead, Robinson for NFC Championship Game vs. Lions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers on Saturday elevated two players from their practice squad to be available for the NFC Championship Game.
Wide receiver Willie Snead and linebacker Curtis Robinson are eligible to suit up to face the Detroit Lions after the 49ers made the moves on Saturday.
Also, the 49ers ruled out defensive tackle Kalia Davis (ankle) for the game, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers this week opened the practice window for Davis, who was a full participant during practices. Davis remains on injured reserve and will still be eligible to be activated if the 49ers win Sunday and advance to Super Bowl LVIII.
Robinson has a chance of being in uniform for Sunday’s game with linebacker Oren Burks listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. Burks had a collision in practice on Thursday and was a limited participant in practice on Friday.
It is common for the 49ers to reward two players from their practice squad with elevations during the postseason — whether or not there is a plan for the players to be active for the game. Each player on all four teams this weekend will receive $73,000 for advancing to the conference championship games.
Snead’s odds of being in uniform diminished greatly with Deebo Samuel’s improved physical condition. The 49ers are not likely to need another wide receiver for the game after the club removed any injury designation from Samuel.
Samuel sustained a shoulder injury in the first quarter of the 49ers’ victory over the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round. He did not practice on Wednesday, but Samuel took part in a limited practice Thursday and was cleared for full football activity on Friday.
With the elevation of Robinson, the 49ers appear to be rewarding him for the loyalty he showed the organization late in the season. Rather than leaving the 49ers to accept an offer to join the Tennessee Titans’ 53-man roster, Robinson opted to remain on the 49ers’ practice squad.
“Personally, I put in a lot of work going into this season,” Robinson told NBC Sports Bay Area . “And as a team and a linebacker group, we put in a lot of work, and I want to see everything we worked toward come to fruition.
“I think we have a really good group, and this is a good run that we’re on. I want to see it through.”
