The San Francisco 49ers are limping into Week 2 with an absurd **13 players already stashed away on injured reserve**. And if that’s not enough, rookie second-round pick De’Zhaun Stribling is almost certainly the 14th, after he suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 that needs surgery. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is talking about a 10-week recovery timeline for Stribling, who is eligible to return. This is wild for early September.
The “Maybe They’ll Be Back?” Crew: Hope and Hard Knocks
It’s not all doom and gloom for every single one of those guys, but it’s a huge question mark. WR Christian Kirk is one of the players the 49ers actually designated for return at final cuts. He’s been dealing with a calf injury through almost all of training camp, but he’s eligible to come back after Week 4. That designation means he’ll count against their eight allotted IR returns this season, which is a big deal already. CB Nate Hobbs, who landed on IR shortly after making the 53-man roster with a groin injury, is also eligible. The team could activate him if they need corner help and he’s healthy, or they could effectively “redshirt” him this year. LB Nick Martin is in a similar boat with a hamstring injury, eligible to return, but San Francisco might just keep him on IR if there’s no active roster role. DL Sam Okuayinonu, who hurt his foot before the team flew to Australia, can return late in the season, though Shanahan didn’t sound super optimistic about him coming back any time soon. On top of those guys, RB Isaac Guerendo and DE Mykel Williams are on the PUP list, and they’ll be eligible to return after Week 4 too. That’s a lot of talent just waiting on the sidelines.
Season Over for So Many: The Crushing Blows
Unfortunately for the Niners, for a good chunk of these guys, their 2026 season is already toast. DL Alfred Collins tore a patellar tendon in the week leading up to Week 1, and his season is officially over. Same deal for DL Andrew Farmer II, who hit IR early in training camp with a back issue, and S Darrick Forrest, who went on IR way back in May. Undrafted rookie DL Mikail Kamara, who Shanahan called “interesting,” also suffered a season-ending knee injury early in camp, ending his season in July. And in a tough break, WR Ricky Pearsall, who hurt his knee, won’t be back because he went on IR before final cuts and didn’t get a return designation. His expected timeline for return is nine months. That’s a brutal list of players who won’t see the field this year.
What’s next for the 49ers is a real challenge managing this injury epidemic. With so many key players out, or potentially out for a long time, their depth is already being tested in a major way. We’ll see how they adapt.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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