No team in the league faced a tougher injury crisis than the San Francisco 49ers, yet Kyle Shanahan's team still reached the playoffs with an 11-6 record.
This season sidelined the franchise’s top players—from the quarterback to the best defensive stars—forcing the roster to deliver an unprecedented "next man up" performance.
Despite missing their starting quarterback, top pass-rusher, best linebacker, and All-Pro tight end at various times, the 49ers kept winning, a testament to Shanahan’s coaching and player development.
As San Francisco enters the postseason, they carry battle scars as much as a playoff berth. While Brock Purdy returned late in the season to lead the offense, the team still faces the playoffs without key defensive stars. Their 11-win season, built on backups and coaching ingenuity, is one of the NFL’s most compelling stories this year.
Here’s how the 49ers battled through injuries to reach the postseason.
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49ers injury timeline
Brock Purdy
The quarterback position was destabilized early when Brock Purdy suffered a hyperextension of his right big toe in the season opener, partially tearing the stabilizing ligaments. Initially expected to miss only a couple of weeks, the injury proved more complex and lingering, restricting the toe’s ability to flex.
Purdy made a premature return in Week 4, only to re-aggravate the injury, sidelining him for several more games. The 49ers relied heavily on backup Mac Jones for eight games. Remarkably, Jones went 5-3 as a starter, but Purdy’s prolonged absence and incomplete recovery defined the offense’s inconsistency. Head coach Kyle Shanahan noted they did not expect Purdy to reach full health for the rest of the season.
When Purdy returned, San Francisco’s offense surged. From Week 11 onward, the team averaged 35.7 points per game. Purdy finished the regular season with a 105.6 passer rating and 19 total touchdowns, including back-to-back games with four or more touchdowns and a career-high five TDs in Week 16 against the Colts.
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Nick Bosa
One of the most devastating injuries of the 2025 season struck All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa in Week 3. Bosa tore the ACL in his right knee after his leg bent awkwardly on a pass rush against the Cardinals. The injury was season-ending, requiring immediate surgery and robbing the 49ers of their most dominant defensive force — widely regarded as the best edge rusher in football. The loss was especially painful, marking the second torn ACL of Bosa’s NFL career.
Offseason acquisition Bryce Huff, initially meant to be a complementary pass-rush specialist, immediately saw his workload skyrocket. Huff, who had thrived under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh with the Jets, became the de facto number-one edge, recording four sacks in the first seven games and taking on a larger role against the run. Rookie first-round pick Mykel Williams also had his development accelerated, shifting from a run-stopping interior role to a primary outside pass rusher. That progress was cut short, however, when Williams suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 9, compounding the defensive crisis and leaving the unit critically thin as the season wore on.
MORE: Get to know Brock Purdy’s wife, Jenna, and the rest of his family.
Fred Warner
The heart of the defense was ripped out in Week 6 when All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner suffered a broken and dislocated ankle. The horrific injury occurred when Warner was rolled up on during a tackle against the Buccaneers, forcing him to be carted off the field and placed in an air cast. The diagnosis confirmed the injury would require surgery, immediately ending his 2025 season. Warner's absence meant the 49ers lost their defensive captain, signal-caller, and premier coverage linebacker, forcing the unit to scramble to replace his unmatched speed and leadership in the middle of the field.
In the wake of Warner's season-ending injury, the linebacker room became a revolving door defined by crisis and opportunity. Initially, second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune stepped in as the MIKE linebacker, tasked with calling the defensive plays, and he performed admirably for several weeks, becoming one of the team's leading tacklers. Behind him, Dee Winters was forced to shoulder a massive defensive workload, logging over 90% of defensive snaps as the season progressed and often having to compensate for the shifting personnel. The situation grew so dire late in the season that when Bethune suffered a season-ending groin tear, the 49ers had to rely on veteran practice squad call-ups like Eric Kendricks, highlighting just how thin the team became at a position commanded by one of the NFL's greats.
Though, reports indicate that Warner is trying to make a return in the postseason if San Francisco is still alive.
MORE: Fred Warner gives promising injury update
George Kittle
Kittle battled through a frustrating, injury-plagued season, beginning with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1 that landed him on injured reserve, costing him four games early in the year. While he returned to provide a major boost to the passing and running games, his injury woes resurfaced late in the season.
Kittle later sustained a brutal ankle injury against the Colts, forcing him to miss further time. The cumulative effect of these soft-tissue and joint issues significantly limited his availability and production, forcing the offense to continually adjust without its most versatile receiving threat and run blocker.
In his absence, rookie tight end Jake Tonges stepped onto the scene and became a reliable target for Purdy and co.
MORE: Kyle Shanahan’s journey to San Francisco and the postseason questions that remain
Trent Williams
The All-Pro left tackle Williams, the undisputed anchor and MVP of the 49ers’ offensive line, managed to play through nearly the entire 2025 regular season, a major victory considering his age and the previous year's injury struggles. Williams started 16 games and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors, ranking among the league's top offensive tackles with a 91.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and the second-highest run-blocking grade at his position. However, he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 17.
This injury forced him to sit out the regular-season finale, which was a massive blow to the offense's ability to protect the quarterback and run the ball effectively. His absence immediately impacted the offense, which struggled notably in Week 18 without him. With the playoffs looming, undrafted journeyman Austen Pleasants was forced into the starting left tackle role.
Williams's availability for the Wild Card round remained a major question mark, highlighting just how reliant the team was on his presence to stabilize the line.
MORE: Trent Williams shares good news on status for Eagles Wild Card matchup
Christian McCaffrey injury history
Prior to his heroic 2025 season, McCaffrey’s career was a dramatic narrative defined by brilliance on the field and devastating injuries that relentlessly limited his availability.
After failing to miss a single game during his first three NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers — a stretch that included his historic 2019 season where he joined the exclusive 1,000-yard rushing, 1,000-yard receiving club — his body began to break down. The 2020 and 2021 seasons were particularly brutal, with soft-tissue injuries plaguing him; he appeared in only three games in 2020 due to a high ankle sprain, a shoulder issue, and a glute strain, and then missed significant time in 2021 with a hamstring injury and a late-season ankle injury, playing in just seven games.
This injury trend continued into his tenure with the 49ers, notably in the 2024 season. He dealt with calf and Achilles tendonitis during training camp, causing him to miss the first nine games of the regular season. Upon his return, the injury curse struck again in his fourth game back when he suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee, which prematurely ended his 2024 campaign. This pattern had caused him to miss a staggering 37 out of a possible 84 regular-season games in the five years leading up to the 2025 season, leading to significant durability concerns and making his ability to return to elite form a major question mark across the league.
Though, in 2025, McCaffrey suited up for all 17 games. He finished the season second in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage, recording an astounding 2,126 scrimmage yards (1,202 rushing yards and 924 receiving yards) and totaling 17 touchdowns. While his yards per carry were the lowest it's ever been in San Francisco, his durability (he was second in the NFL with 311 carries) allowed him to be among the league's leading rushers, while also leading all running backs with 102 receptions.
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