Delanie Walker has graduated from soups and shakes to fruits and
pastas.
But the 49ers’ tight end still is a long way from returning from
the broken jaw he suffered Dec. 24, and he doesn’t know whether he
will be able to rejoin the 49ers for their playoff run.
In his first public comments since suffering the injury, Walker
on Friday said the left side of his jaw was broken in two places.
One fracture occurred high on the left side of his face near his
ear. The other one is lower in the vicinity of his chin.
SANTA CLARA
Delanie Walker has graduated from soups and shakes to fruits and pastas.
But the 49ers’ tight end still is a long way from returning from the broken jaw he suffered Dec. 24, and he doesn’t know whether he will be able to rejoin the 49ers for their playoff run.
In his first public comments since suffering the injury, Walker on Friday said the left side of his jaw was broken in two places. One fracture occurred high on the left side of his face near his ear. The other one is lower in the vicinity of his chin.
He said the knee of Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill got beneath his facemask in the first quarter of the game and caught him underneath the chin. Walker said he knew his jaw was broken as he lay on the CenturyLink Field immediately after the play but that he didn’t suffer a concussion.
Walker’s jaw was wired shut upon returning to the Bay Area, and he’s been on a mostly liquid diet – protein shakes, soups and mashed rice – for the past two weeks.
On Wednesday, Walker was cleared to do some conditioning work at the team facility, and the wiring of his jaw was released a bit, enabling him to talk and to finally get off his liquid diet.
Far from determining whether Walker can play in an NFL game, at this time doctors are more interested in seeing how the jaw reacts to smaller things like speaking and chewing.
“They basically wanted to see how I feel when I talk and stuff,” Walker said.
Losing Walker would remove one of the weapons that made the 49ers offense unique this season.
Both he and fellow tight end Vernon Davis are excellent blockers who are also capable of catching passes deep down field, making the 49ers a threat to run and pass when they are on the field together.
Walker was particularly effective as a pass catcher early in the season. He caught all 19 passes this season in the team’s first nine games – including a game-winning touchdown catch in Week 6 against Detroit – but mostly he was used as a blocker in the second half of the season.
The bye gave the 49ers some extra time in deciding whether to keep Walker on the 53-man roster or place him on injured reserve, which would free a roster spot.
He is unlikely to play in the team’s Jan. 14 divisional playoff game, and the 49ers may be forced to make a decision on his future next week. The team brought in former Chiefs tight end Cody Slate for a workout on Tuesday and they also could promote rookie Konrad Reuland from the practice squad to the active roster.
Walker was noticeably subdued in speaking with reporters Friday.
“It’s emotional. First time in the playoffs, and then I get hurt,” he said. “Not being able to play kind of hurts. But the team is doing well, and I’m recovering in the way I want to recover.”
He said he will focus on staying in shape until the 49ers make a decision on his immediate future.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I’m just here to try to get back in shape working out. I don’t know what’s going to happen, whether I’m going to be back or not.”
