Niner Noise
FanSided

5 trends 49ers are showing after starting 2-3 to open season

By Robert Morrison

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) Mandatory Credit: Chris Coduto-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) Mandatory Credit: Chris Coduto-USA TODAY Sports /
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Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /

Trend No. 2: 49ers’ injuries

The injury bug hasn’t hit the 49ers nearly as hard as it did back in 2020 when they lost key players like Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Bosa, and tight end George Kittle for extended periods, not to mention wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and cornerback Richard Sherman.

Sure, Garoppolo missed the second half against Seattle and all of last week in Arizona (although he did practice on Monday) and Kittle has already gone on IR with a calf injury but is expected to be back for the Nov. 7 contest when the Cardinals come to Levi’s Stadium, but by and large, the injuries have been less concerning.

Cornerback Jason Verrett and running back Raheem Mostert are the only long-term injuries the team has suffered so far in 2021, and while they have been key losses, the rest of the injuries have been relatively minor. And the team has already started to see contributors like defensive tackle Maurice Hurst and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley come back to play important roles.

This is the NFL, so injuries are a part of the game, but if the Niners can avoid any more long-term setbacks in this department and start to get more players back, such as Kittle, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and kicker Robbie Gould, they should be in better shape moving forward.