3 ways 49ers 2022 season could go horribly wrong

49ers disaster No. 1: Injuries

Let’s get the most apparent potential complication out of the way first: injuries.

Injuries are a nasty part of the game that has destroyed many promising seasons for teams across all sports. Last season, we saw injuries get the best of players, the likes of quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott, and countless other players who performed through both announced and unannounced injuries.

It seems as though playing through injuries has somehow manifested as a “badge of honor” in sports.

In 2021, San Francisco was plagued with injuries. Yes, injuries depleted the secondary, but that wasn’t the whole story. All season, the 49ers felt and dealt with injuries across their depth chart, and while they weren’t as bad as 2020 as a whole, those injury effects still had a substantial impact.

In the NFC Championship game, linebacker Fred Warner shook off a non-contact leg injury, which was a great deal of luck handed to him. However, the Niners still haven’t had much good fortune, injury-wise, in recent years as abundant injuries have become a common theme.

Warner, Jimmy Garoppolo, left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Deebo Samuel are just a few names among a lengthy list of players that missed games due to injury.

For the upcoming year, San Francisco is in the top five in the strength of schedule for opponents. If the 49ers want to take the next step toward a title, they will need their best players to be on the field regularly and at full strength. It’s imperative the Niners successfully overcome this injury crisis, and they must get and keep their players healthy to get through the vicious NFC West and their hefty schedule.

If they cannot address this issue, they could be headed down a road leading to yet another disaster and disappointment.