EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSANTA CLARA, Calif. -- In what has become a part of their in-season reality, the San Francisco 49ers are once again on pace to be among the most injured NFL teams in 2026.Four weeks into the season, the Niners have the most games missed by players because of injury (75), according to CBS Sports. They have the ninth-most annual salary value on their injured reserve (IR), physically unable to perform list (PUP) and non-football injury/illness list, according to OverTheCap.com. That doesn't even account for stars such as defensive end Nick Bosa and fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who are injured but not on a reserve list.And though it's a distinction they'd prefer not to have, the Niners have again showed they are well equipped to handle a lengthy injury list. They're 4-0 with 16 players on IR and two more on PUP."Of course, you never want your guys going down," linebacker Fred Warner said. "You want your best players out there. But this is the NFL, it's football, it's a violent game, things are going to happen."Plenty of injuries happened even before the opener against the Los Angeles Rams. In August, receiver Ricky Pearsall had season-ending surgery on a right knee injury from the 2025 season. Then, in early September practices, defensive tackle Alfred Collins (torn patellar tendon) and end Sam Okuayinonu (foot) were injured. And in each of the ensuing weeks of the regular season, the 49ers have lost key players to in-game or practice injuries of varying severity.Here's a breakdown of the injuries by designation:Physically unable to perform list: DL Mykel Williams, RB Isaac GuerendoDesignated to return from IR: WR Christian Kirk, OL Austen PleasantsPlayers currently on IR: DT Alfred Collins, DL Andrew Farmer II, S Darrick Forrest, DB Nate Hobbs, DL Mikail Kamara, LB Nick Martin, DE Sam Okuayinonu, WR Ricky Pearsall, WR Demarcus Robinson, WR De'Zhaun Stribling, TE Jake Tonges, OL Brett Toth, DT C.J. West, OL Nick ZakeljInjured but not on a reserve list: DE Nick Bosa, FB Kyle Juszczyk, S Marques Sigle, CB Upton Stout, DT James Thompson Jr.As San Francisco prepares for Sunday's NFC West showdown with the Seattle Seahawks (3-1), let's answer a few pressing questions about the team's injured players.On a scale of 1-10 how panicked should the 49ers be about their injuries?7. It's high, but the good news? With the notable exceptions of Collins, Pearsall and tight end Jake Tonges (torn right MCL in Week 1), the rest of the 22 injured players should return at some point in 2026.San Francisco expects some players, such as Bosa (calf injury in Sept. 24 practice) or Juszczyk (sprained right knee on Sunday), to return in October. Others, such as wideout De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle surgery after Week 1 injury) and defensive tackle C.J. West (right knee surgery in September), might not be back until late November or early December if their recoveries go as planned.Injuries have hit the 49ers especially hard at receiver and on the defensive line. In the latter group, the only players available to play from the initial 53-man roster are DT Osa Odighizuwa, DT Gracen Halton, DE Romello Height and DE Keion White. In their stead, the Niners have gotten contributions from former practice squad players such as DT Sebastian Valdez and street free agents such as DE Khalid Kareem."This is the first time that being in a situation where there's only four guys left out of the 10 guys you started with two weeks prior to that," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "To have that many new guys, practice squad guys, all those guys getting out there and stepping it up ... I've been real happy with them."There's a scenario in which those practice squad players hold their positions throughout October. Then, the return of injured players could set up the 49ers well for the stretch run.But that assumes there won't be more injuries in the meantime. With this team, that would be a bold assumption.Are the Niners really 'out' of injured reserve return designations?In theory, yes. In practicality, not really.Each team gets eight players it can designate to return from IR during the regular season. They can designate up to two of those players when rosters trim to the initial 53 players at the end of the preseason. From there, every team can wait and see before opening a 21-day practice window for an injured player. Once a player is designated to return, they can only play after they've missed at least four games.Since the 49ers designated OL Austen Pleasants and WR Christian Kirk to return on cutdown day, they technically have six IR spots remaining. They are hopeful Kirk will return to practice as soon as next week.There are undoubtedly at least six more players on IR who they'd like to bring back. That doesn't mean all of them will return, however.From the list, Robinson, Stribling and West are the best bets to return if and when they recover. Robinson suffered a high right ankle sprain in the 49ers' Week 2 win over the Dolphins.The rest of the list is largely comprised of solid depth players who are more likely to return if more injuries happen at their positions.Yes, it behooves the Niners to refrain from placing more players they want to have available on IR. But it's not quite as dire of a situation as it might appear given the overall lack of long-term injuries to starters.What about the players on the physically unable to perform list?Players on the PUP list have injuries suffered prior to training camp and also have to miss at least four games before they can return to playing in games. One difference: They are allowed to begin practicing as soon as Week 3, according to a new NFL rule this year.Williams, who tore his ACL last November, has a chance to be the first 49er to return from PUP on Sunday. The team opened his practice window last week and, if this week of practice goes well, he could be active against the Seahawks. That would be a big boost for the depleted defensive line.Guerendo (pectoral injury in April) is also on the PUP list, but he's likely more of an option to come back if there's an injury to any of the three running backs -- Christian McCaffrey, Kaelon Black and Jordan James -- on the depth chart.How might these injuries affect the Niners' trade deadline plans?The 49ers will get some key players back from injury before or around the Nov. 10 trade deadline, but that's unlikely to stop them from being aggressive in their pursuit of adding help. That's especially true on the defensive line and, to a lesser degree, wide receiver.San Francisco would be smart to invest in insurance policies for Bosa, West, Thompson and Okuayinonu in case their recoveries don't go as planned. A run-stuffing defensive tackle and another edge rusher capable of getting after the quarterback have to be among the top priorities for the Niners as the season goes on. Currently, they're 22nd in defensive rushing success rate and 26th in sacks per dropback.It's a safe bet that even with players coming back from injury, they will look to add more options. As recent history has proved, the 49ers will need all the healthy and capable bodies they can get.
