The San Francisco 49ers are staring down Week 7 absolutely wrecked at wide receiver, with all four of their top pass-catchers from Week 1 officially inactive for their road game in Atlanta. Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, and Deebo Samuel, who all suited up against the Rams earlier this season, are out. That’s a gut punch, no two ways about it.
Massive Injury Report Piles Up for the Niners
Man, this inactive list is a brutal read for anyone watching the Niners. Beyond the shocking wide receiver losses of Evans (Achilles), Samuel (hamstring), Stribling, and Robinson, it just keeps going. Defensive end Nick Bosa is out with a calf injury, which is a huge blow for their pass rush. Linebackers Luke Gifford (groin) and Garret Wallow (hamstring) are sidelined too. Even the third-string QB, Kurtis Rourke, is inactive, along with safety Marques Sigle who’s dealing with an ankle issue. You gotta wonder if they even have enough healthy bodies. It’s so bad that rookie offensive tackle Enrique Cruz is active for the very first time, though he’s unlikely to hit the field. That just paints a picture of how snake-bitten this team is by injury heading into this Week 7 matchup.
How Does This Offense Even Function Now?
So, what’s Kyle Shanahan gonna cook up to keep this offense moving with basically no wideouts? The big question is how Christian Kirk gets used and how often he plays. He’s gonna have to step up huge. And get this: last week, against the Rams, Christian McCaffrey was moved around the formation like crazy, more than ever before. Don’t be surprised to see McCaffrey playing a “Cooper Kupp kind of role” this week, running a ton of underneath routes to keep the offense on schedule. The good news, if you can call it that, is they’ll have nine offensive linemen active, which should at least help protect whoever is throwing the ball and open up some running lanes for McCaffrey.
Defense Faces a Serious Test
On the defensive side, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. They’re missing Wallow and Gifford at linebacker, which isn’t ideal, but Dre Greenlaw is back, which is a big relief. That means Tatum Bethune and Jalen Graham are gonna be grinding it out on special teams. In the secondary, Upton Stout is active after missing Monday Night Football with a shoulder injury, so that’s good news for depth. But listen, those cornerbacks are going to be absolutely tested by Atlanta’s firepower. Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and seriously, do NOT sleep on Jahan Dotson. These guys are coming, and the Niners defense better be ready to absorb some big plays.
It’s going to be a real test of grit for the Niners to see if they can navigate these insane injury woes against a solid Falcons attack in Week 7. You gotta wonder if they have enough left in the tank to pull off a win.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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