The San Francisco 49ers' improbable 2025 campaign isn't over just yet. But it probably should have been over a long time ago.
A 23-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round kept head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad in the postseason dance, continuing what has easily been one of the more unbelievable seasons in franchise history.
Unfortunately, one wholly defined by injuries, too, including a brutal setback in the middle of the matchup versus Philly.
The Niners lost All-Pro tight end George Kittle to what's been confirmed by the team as an Achilles tear late in the second quarter, the latest in a massively long line of brutal injury setbacks Shanahan and Co. have dealt with all season long.
Ominously, the Fox Sports' broadcast didn't hesitate to point out just how bad San Francisco has been bitten by the injury bug:
How did this team win 12 games pic.twitter.com/zzlyLu5ekS
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) January 11, 2026
Unlike another injury-riddled 49ers campaign -- 2020, which saw a 6-10 finish -- this year's edition somehow managed to overcome the numerous setbacks en route to a playoff berth.
And they're continuing to do so, just like the win over Philadelphia proved.
George Kittle injury is the ironic part of 49ers' injury-plagued postseason run
Kittle already had a stint on injured reserve way back toward the start of 2025, having suffered a hamstring injury. And he was preceded by wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee), who didn't play a snap all year long.
Fellow wideout Ricky Pearsall was in and out of the lineup with various injuries, and quarterback Brock Purdy even missed eight games with a turf-toe injury.
That doesn't even cover the devastating season-ending defensive losses of linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) and defensive end Nick Bosa (knee).
It's a bittersweet storyline. On one hand, it's insanely improbable how San Francisco reached this round of the playoffs despite the adversity, even being in contention as late as Week 18 for the No. 1 seed in a stacked NFC.
No matter how one looks at it -- and Kittle is merely the microcosm example in a game they shouldn't have won -- the 49ers shouldn't be here in light of the devastating injury attrition.
And yet they are. Still.