SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Braylon Edwards has a nagging knee injury and a bum shoulder. He insists that's the reason his numbers are down in his first season with the San Francisco 49ers.
Edwards has just 14 catches for 172 yards and no touchdowns in seven games for the NFC West-leading 49ers (9-2). He missed four games earlier in the season after undergoing surgery on his injured right knee, which still isn't fully healed.
"It's not about production; I've been hurt. I had knee surgery. Now I have a bad shoulder," Edwards said Monday, when the 49ers returned to work after having an off weekend. "I haven't ever had a season where I've been hurt, with the exception of my rookie year. This is all new to me. It's very frustrating, but I ask the team to bear with me. I can't really control being hurt -- it's part of the game."
In Thursday night's 16-6 loss at Baltimore, a second-quarter miscommunication between Edwards and quarterback Alex Smith on a deep throw to the end zone resulted in an interception. The 49ers didn't score a touchdown for the first time all season.
"There's been limited practice time, a pitch count with him. And same with the games," said Harbaugh, who didn't want to speculate on how healthy Edwards is. "I wouldn't put a percentage on it."
Edwards declined to say which shoulder is hurting him, though he made it clear he hasn't returned to full speed or full strength since missing time earlier in the season because of the knee that he hurt early in the Sept. 18 game against the Dallas Cowboys. He injured his shoulder during the fourth quarter of a 19-11 win at Washington on Nov. 6.
"I'm playing through a football season. No one is ever going to be fully healthy, but just fighting every day," he said. "Injury means you can't play, but I do have a shoulder ailment, I'll say. Little bit of AC joint. Nothing super serious, but at the same time, it's nagging. It bothers me."
Notes: Right guard Adam Snyder is nursing a strained left hamstring, but Harbaugh declined to offer details. ... FB Bruce Miller said he has improved from a concussion that sidelined him against the Ravens. Harbaugh didn't have an update on Miller's status for this Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press