Frank Gore continues to work his way through the NFL's concussion protocol, with the running back taking part in drills Friday but not in some full-contact portions of practice.
Gore sustained a concussion in last Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and his availability against San Diego Saturday is still up in the air. Usual backup Carlos Hyde is definitely out with a back problem, so Afonso Smith will take over that role.
The 49ers are declining to clarify Gore's status ahead of Saturday's game (he'll likely be a game-time decision, so this isn't a huge surprise), but most of San Francisco's beat writers think Gore is very likely to play given his smooth progress through the concussion protocol up to this point.
Gore has been limited in San Francisco's last four games, and hasn't carried the ball more than 13 times since San Francisco's Week 11 win over the New York Giants. Gore is averaging just 39 yards per game in that stretch, although his early exit from last Sunday's game skews that statistic slightly (Gore had 29 yards on 11 carries at the time of his exit).
Gore is officially listed as questionable for Saturday - stay tuned to Chat Sports for all the latest on his status.
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