SF 49ers: 5 biggest disappointments over first quarter of 2020

No. 5: The rash of SF 49ers injuries across the board

Just take a look at San Francisco’s injury report through four weeks:

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com
Generated 10/6/2020.

This is the proverbial “elephant in the room” for the SF 49ers this season. While every team has to deal with injuries on a week-to-week basis, the sheer number for Kyle Shanahan’s group in the early phases of 2020 has been nothing short of disastrous.

And the list doesn’t even include injuries to wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who finally returned in Week 4 after suffering an offseason foot fracture. Tight end George Kittle was out for two games with a knee injury. Nor does the list include cornerback K’Waun Williams, who’ll miss time after suffering his own knee injury in Week 4.

Two of the Niners’ top three running backs have been out for extended periods of time. Jimmy Garoppolo has appeared in six quarters this season only, forcing backup quarterbacks Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard to navigate a banged-up offense in his absence.

But arguably the biggest setback has been injuries to both Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, completely altering the defensive makeup.

No longer a prolific pass-rushing team, only boasting a mere eight sacks through four weeks, it’s a small miracle the Niners still rank second overall in pass defense this season.

Still, one can only wonder just how this season would have looked if the SF 49ers had a much cleaner bill of health.