Mac Jones’ knee injury was enough to scare coach Kyle Shanahan into changing his plans. As the 49ers are headed to face the Chargers in the preseason Finale game, the coach had plans to let Brock Purdy, and the other starter gear up for the game. But after the game against the Raiders, the team is left with several injuries. Most of the players were hurt during the training camp, and a few more at the exhibition games. While some players may have returned, Shanahan’s squad is still struggling with piled-up injuries

During a recent press conference, 49ers player Trent Williams opened up about the hurdles of having so many injured players on the roster. “It takes a toll when you hear this guys out for the year. Obviously, it sucks with not a lot of guys practicing and you have to make up for those reps. It’s good for guys to get a little ding and take time to recover,” he told the reporters.

With key players missing from practice, the pressure has also mounted on the rest of the roster, which in turn could lead to more injuries. The coach has also been cautious with his quarterback, Brock Purdy. With a few days left for the team to confirm its 53-man roster and for the 2025 regular season, the roster can’t afford any more hits. As Renardo Green and Isaac Guerendo returned to the practice field, the team saw a few other players go down with injuries.

The franchise moved quickly to ease the load. They signed quarterback Nate Sudfeld after Patrick Taylor Jr. hit the IR. Injuries have gutted the receivers’ room. Brandon Aiyuk is out with ACL and MCL issues. Jauan Jennings is nursing a calf. Jordan Watkins has a sprained ankle. At camp, Ricky Pearsall narrowly dodged an injury.

To inject fresh and new energy into the WR unit, the 49ers traded for receiver Skyy Moore, sending a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder to the Chiefs. While Shanahan and his players remain focused on managing reps and keeping the team steady, outside voices have zeroed in on finding something to blame.

Maybe, there’s a reason behind the 49ers injury woes

Last season ended in a 6-11 slide as key players fell throughout the year, and 2025 camp has been no different. “We haven’t had the best luck this year—down probably more guys than we’ve had,” Kyle Shanahan admitted. “It’s a tough situation. You’ve got to keep practicing… But it does make that a huge challenge with the number of guys we’ve had down.”

The debate reached another level when joint practices with Denver sparked social media chatter that San Francisco’s warm-ups were too short. Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn pointed directly at Shanahan’s schedule. He noted Niners’ camps run just 90 minutes compared to two-plus hours for teams like the Raiders or Broncos. He argued the condensed format, combined with fast-paced dynamic stretches, sacrifices proper preparation. “If your team has a soft tissue injury epidemic, doesn’t it stand to reason … spend more time warming up?” Cohn asked. He suggested extended static and dynamic sessions could address the issue.

But the picture isn’t so simple. Former 49ers lineman Jon Feliciano has said he never warmed up more than during his time in San Francisco. Plus, practice footage shows the team performing thorough stretching routines before drills. That testimony complicates the narrative, suggesting the issue may not stem from warm-ups at all. One can rarely explain the injuries in football by a single variable, and observers may be too quick to pin structural problems on one highly visible factor.

For Shanahan’s group, the reality is clear. Whatever the cause, the roster must find a way to stay intact if the season is to match expectations. The warm-up controversy underscores the scrutiny the 49ers face. But it doesn’t provide a definitive explanation. Whether it’s bad luck, cumulative wear, or something deeper, the solution won’t come from debate alone. For now, the priority is survival. And keeping enough players healthy to give a loaded roster a fair chance to compete.