So far, the 2026 season has been a lot like the 2025 season for the 49ers.
The 49ers lost top receiver Ricky Pearsall to a torn ACL in training camp and starting defensive tackle Alfred Collins to a torn patellar tendon in practice just last week.
And this is after a season in which they lost Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner — arguably four of their five most important players — for extended time last year, with Bosa and Warner both going down with season-ending injuries in the early part of the year while Kittle dealt with hamstring issues during the regular season before tearing his Achilles in San Francisco’s playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Yes, playoff — despite all the injuries, San Francisco still won 13 games and reached the playoffs before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers have a very talented core, with Mike Evans joining in free agency to complement Christian McCaffrey and the group listed above, but health will be a major factor in determining this team’s ceiling once again.
