In listing their biggest concern for each NFL team, CBS Sports' worry for the 49ers isn't exactly something unfamiliar to the fanbase.
If pressed, most San Francisco 49ers fans would probably admit their No. 1 concern for the team heading into 2025 would be whether or not the offensive line could hold up after not receiving much attention during the offseason.
Those fans may feel a massive reliance upon the 11 drafted rookies is concerning, too. After all, how safe is it for the Niners to start as many as four or five new first-year players?
Then, of course, it's fair to worry whether or not quarterback Brock Purdy will be the 2023 version of himself or will look more like the underwhelming 2024 edition, highlighted even more by what'll be a lucrative contract extension in the not-so-distant future.
Those aren't the concerns CBS Sports is talking about, though.
If anything, the Faithful are fully aware of the sports outlet's No. 1 worry regarding San Francisco, although the fanbase is probably doing its best to suppress the concern.
Injury-plagued 49ers team is CBS Sports' biggest worry
Combing through all 32 teams' top potential pain points this season, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin circled one for the 49ers that makes far too much sense.
Injuries.
Yes, injuries impact every team, although it sure feels as if the Niners have been bit harder by this than nearly anyone else. All fans have to do is recall just how bad things were in 2020 when nearly every offensive and defensive starter missed chunks of time, leading to head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad running away with Football Outsiders' old metric, aggregate games lost, by a sizable margin.
Even 2021 wasn't significantly better.
2024 was disastrous, too, highlighted by running back Christian McCaffrey's knee and Achilles issues, as well as wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's ACL and MCL tears. And there were plenty more.
Of the pending worries, Benjamin wrote:
"Can they stay healthy? It's an age-old question for Kyle Shanahan, who's either overseen Super Bowl bids or injury-marred trainwrecks in the Bay Area. After an offseason of salary shedding, they need remaining stars like Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Co. to be in top physical form. Otherwise, it'll be all on Shanahan to scheme up magic."
The Niners mostly stayed healthy in 2023 and made it to a Super Bowl, so that'll be the aiming point for Shanahan and Co. this season despite already having undergone quite the tumultuous offseason.
Unfortunately, San Francisco fans probably still have nightmares about the injury bugs that keep biting their favorite team on a seemingly perennial basis.