The 49ers’ season is over, and once again, it ends not with a trophy, but with a roster battered by injuries. That’s become a familiar story in the Kyle Shanahan era - a team built to contend, undone not by lack of talent or scheme, but by the sheer volume of bodies lost along the way. And while some might reach for conspiracy theories or bad luck to explain it, the truth may be sitting right in front of us: the way this team practices, the way it plays, and the philosophy it embraces may be contributing to its annual war of attrition.
Let’s start with the practices. Since Shanahan arrived in San Francisco in 2017, his training sessions - especially in the summer - have been known for their intensity.
At first, there were raised eyebrows from local reporters, but over time, the physicality of Niners practices became just another part of the team’s identity. It wasn’t until outside voices started to speak up that the topic resurfaced.
Back in 2020, then-Steelers rookie Chase Claypool made headlines when he pointed out the difference between Pittsburgh’s practice schedule and what he was hearing from a friend on the 49ers. “They’re still wearing full pads on Thursdays,” he said, noting that his own team hadn’t done that since training camp. For Claypool, it was a sign of how some coaches better understand the grind of a long NFL season - and how easing off the gas during the week can help players stay fresh for the playoffs.
Shanahan responded at the time by saying the team didn’t wear pads on Wednesdays, so Thursday was only partially padded. But he didn’t really address the bigger point: the cumulative toll of practicing hard every week, all season long.
And if you talk to people around the team, there’s little doubt - Thursday practices in San Francisco are no joke. They’re among the most demanding in the league.
Former 49ers wideout Chris Conley summed it up bluntly in 2023: “It’s not about preservation here. It’s about attacking.”
That mindset has been echoed in reporting throughout the years, including a piece earlier this season that described the Niners as one of the hardest-practicing teams in the NFL, even during training camp. It’s a badge of honor for the organization - and it’s not something they’re trying to hide.
In fact, the team’s own preseason video series from 2025 features Shanahan laying out his ideal training camp schedule: three straight days of practice. “The best way for a body to last a whole season is to build it like a callus,” he says. “The more we can practice three days in a row, and fight through soreness and stuff, is the more you build that callus so we can do it the right way during the year.”
It’s a gritty, old-school metaphor - and it speaks to the toughness Shanahan wants from his team. But here’s the thing: the human body isn’t a callus.
Muscles and connective tissue don’t get tougher the more you beat them down. They break.
And when you stack intense practices on top of a physical brand of football, the results are predictable - and painful.
The Niners don’t just practice hard. They play hard, too.
Shanahan’s offense leans heavily on the wide-zone running game - a system that demands speed, precision, and relentless motion. On the other side of the ball, the defense has long prided itself on violence.
That’s not hyperbole - it’s how Robert Saleh, the team’s former defensive coordinator, described his philosophy: “extreme violence.” That mindset hasn’t left with him.
It’s been baked into the team’s identity, and it shows up every week.
Now picture that: a bruising offense and a punishing defense going at each other in practice multiple times a week, with the most intense session coming as close to game day as the NFL’s rules allow. It’s a recipe for injury - and the Niners keep serving it up.
To be clear, this isn’t about blaming the coaching staff for every pulled hamstring or torn ligament. Football is a violent sport.
Injuries happen. But when a team consistently finds itself at or near the top of the league in players lost to injury - and when that pattern stretches across multiple seasons - it’s fair to ask whether something in the process needs to change.
Of course, change isn’t easy. And it’s even harder when the results - at least in the win column - keep coming.
Shanahan is widely respected across the league. His offensive mind is elite.
Saleh’s defensive principles continue to influence the team, and he may be back in a head coaching role soon. Meanwhile, players like Claypool haven’t stuck on a roster since 2023.
And despite all the injuries, the Niners still made it to the second round of the playoffs this year, pulling off a wild card upset along the way. That’s not the kind of season that typically sparks a full-blown reevaluation.
But it does raise a question: what would it take for the organization to rethink its approach? If losing star players to major injuries in critical moments - year after year - isn’t enough to prompt change, would it take a playoff drought to force the issue?
Right now, that seems unlikely. Shanahan’s teams win.
They compete. And even when the roster is held together by duct tape and grit, they find ways to stay relevant.
But at some point, the cost of that toughness - the very thing that defines this team - may become too high to ignore.