The 49ers are barely into the second week of training camp, and the injury list is already starting to pile up in a way that feels painfully familiar.
San Francisco opened camp with several key concerns, and the biggest blows have already landed. Wide receiver Christian Kirk is dealing with a calf injury, while Ricky Pearsall’s knee issue turned into season-ending PCL surgery. Second-year running back Jordan James also fractured his ribs and is expected to miss time, leaving another hole in the offense.
Now the list has grown again.
On Monday, the 49ers added wide receiver Mike Evans to the injury report after several media outlets reported he is working through a quad strain and did not practice. The hope is that the issue remains minor and that Evans can be treated as day-to-day rather than rushed back.
San Francisco also wanted rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling to get as many reps as possible early in camp, especially after the team made him its top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But that plan hit another snag when Stribling came down with a hamstring injury and was held out of practice as well.
Fellow rookie Kaelon Black, who was expected to benefit most from James’ absence, is also dealing with an abductor injury. That only makes the development picture more complicated for a roster already trying to patch together depth in a hurry.
To this point, the 49ers’ injury situation reads like a running list of setbacks: Jordan James with a rib fracture, Ricky Pearsall headed for season-ending surgery, Kaelon Black with an abductor injury, Mike Evans with a quad strain, De’Zhaun Stribling with a hamstring injury, Christian Kirk with a calf strain, George Kittle recovering from an Achilles issue, and Brandon Aiyuk listed as hating the team.
For now, the only real relief would be if these issues prove short-lived. If they don’t, San Francisco is staring at another camp defined by attrition and a depth chart getting stretched fast.
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