The final score of the San Francisco 49ers' preseason Week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans certainly doesn't tell the whole story, and a major part of that story is how well many of the Niners rookies performed.
Yet the exhibition tilt also revealed some troubling concerns and developments, many of which don't exactly present a clear resolution.
Let's dive into those.
49ers face these 5 major concerns after preseason loss to Titans
No. 1: Left guard is officially a problem
The Niners handed second-year pro Connor Colby the first-team gig in training camp, but he's since lost it in favor of the veteran, Robert Jones, who didn't exactly look great against Tennessee either.
Carver Willis is a day-three rookie, and unless he makes a massive leap over the next few weeks, San Francisco will have effectively zero likable options to start between left tackle Trent Williams and center Jake Brendel.
No. 2: 49ers run game is an issue
It'll be slightly different when the 49ers deploy their starting blockers, as well as All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. But, considering the Niners couldn't average much per carry a year ago in the same context doesn't suggest improvement there in 2026.
San Francisco's reserve blockers didn't fare well at all, and the trio of Sincere McCormick, Patrick Taylor Jr. and Khalil Herbert were routinely experiencing first contact before reaching the line of scrimmage, and the offense managed a measley 3 yards per carry.
The 49ers need all their starters to stay healthy and perform well. Otherwise, it's a problem.
No. 3: Nick Martin is looking like a wasted asset
Like Colby, whose rookie season was frustrating, linebacker Nick Martin's first season after being drafted in Round 3 a year ago was chock-full of disappointments. Early in camp, Martin was given a good shot at the starting strong-side job but has since lost it, and the maturation of rookie Jaden Dugger won't help matters here.
Martin, despite leading the Niners in tackles during the game with eight, still looked lost. Couple that with the fact he was still playing late into the second half, which suggests the backer is still battling for a roster spot, it seems San Francisco has no resolution for yet another third-round disappointment.
No. 4: 49ers might have to make up their mind about Kurtis Rourke now
Kurtis Rourke impressing under center—12-of-14 for 101 yards—is certainly a positive development, suggesting the 49ers have a competent QB3 to support both Brock Purdy and Mac Jones.
Yet the Niners called for a quarterback draw inside the 5-yard line, which resulted in the second-year pro suffering a potentially serious ribs injury that later sent him to the hospital. While it's unclear how much time he'll miss, it'd be reasonable if he didn't return for the final two preseason games.
That means San Francisco effectively has to decide now whether or not he's the right guy for the third-string role. It'd be better if Rourke had two more exhibition bouts to prove himself.
No. 5: Niners lack a true return specialist
Wide receiver Skyy Moore was excellent as both a kick- and punt-return specialist a year ago, but the 49ers let him walk in free agency. They may turn to veteran receiver Deebo Samuel for handling kickoffs, but that's not exactly ideal.
And there's no clear-cut option in the punt-return game.
The Niners seemed to give rookie wideout Will Pauling as many shots at returning kicks and punts on Thursday night, six combined between the two. But Pauling has almost no shot of making the 53-man roster, given the depth at the position ahead of him, meaning San Francisco might be scrambling for options into the regular season.
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