AP

The Patriots weren’t the only team getting a sick player back at work on Thursday.

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said, via Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, that linebacker Ahmad Brooks is feeling better after missing Wednesday’s practice with a bug and that he took part in the walkthrough portion of practice on Thursday. That suggests that the illness won’t pose much risk of keeping Brooks off the field for the NFC Championship Game.

Brooks was active on a pair of goal-line stands against the Panthers last week, stopping Cam Newton short of the end zone twice and providing one of the more memorable encroachment penalties in memory when he leapt over the line before a snap and caused Newton to flop to the ground as if it were a World Cup soccer match.

The only other 49ers defenders to miss practice on Wednesday were defensive linemen Justin Smith and DeMarcus Dobbs, with Smith generally skipping Wednesday’s practices this season in order to be as fresh as possible for Sunday.