A year ago, the San Francisco 49ers were churning through bodies at an alarming rate, being forced to cut several likable players just so they could have enough options at other positions that were being beset by injury attrition.
It looks as if the same will happen in 2026, too.
The Niners are already dealing with several notable injuries suffered in camp; arguably the two biggest losses being wide receivers Christian Kirk (calf) and Ricky Pearsall (knee)—the latter leading to season-ending PCL surgery, which is absolutely brutal.
Additionally, second-year running back Jordan James suffered fractured ribs and will miss time, further complicating matters for San Francisco's offense.
Things don't appear to be getting much better in Week 2 of camp either.
Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling added to 49ers' growing injury-report list
On Monday, the 49ers had to list their biggest offseason pickup to their injury report: wide receiver Mike Evans.
According to several media outlets, Evans is dealing with a quad strain and wasn't able to practice. Hopefully, the injury isn't serious, and Evans is considered day-to-day and won't need to be rushed back onto the field.
Evans' savvy helps here, but the Niners wanted their top pick from the 2026 NFL Draft, wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, to get as acclimated as possible, and early reports from camp were positive on that front.
Except the rookie is now dealing with a hamstring injury, too, and won't practice.
To recap…
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 3, 2026
Jordan James ➡️ rib fracture
Ricky Pearsall ➡️ season ending surgery
Kaelon Black ➡️ abductor injury
Mike Evans ➡️ quad strain
De’Zhaun Stribling ➡️ hamstring injury
Christian Kirk ➡️ calf strain
George Kittle ➡️ recovering Achilles
Brandon Aiyuk ➡️ hates the team
Fellow rookiee Kaelon Black, who figured to be the primary beneficiary of James' absence, is now banged up, too, and it'll be costly for his development.
Whatever the reasons, San Francisco's injury history is showing no signs of letting up despite the new season, and it's already putting a strain on the depth chart. Plus, considering several big names are on the list now, it's impossible for the 49ers to ignore just how bad the situation has gotten.
About the only relief will be if these injuries aren't serious and lead to the players returning in a short amount of time.
If not, though...
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