The San Francisco 49ers are one of the NFL's most successful franchises, but they've also been one of the unluckiest.
San Francisco's 2025 NFL season continued an alarming trend of years in which the roster was greatly impacted by injuries. Quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle went down with injuries in Week 1, causing each to miss time before the franchise returned to the Bay for its home opener.
Here is a closer look at the 49ers' injuries, how the team has been impacted in comparison to other NFL franchises and a year-by-year timeline of absences to key players.
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Are the 49ers the most injured team?
The 49ers have been one of the NFL's most injured teams for several years running.
San Francisco has been a top-10 most-injured team in six of seven seasons between 2018 and 2024, with the lone exception being the 2023 season. In 2023, a healthier 49ers squad advanced to play in Super Bowl 57.
49ers health by season:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 7, 2025
2024: #1 most injured
2023: #29 most injured ◄ 12-5, lost SB
2022: #9 most injured ◄ 13-4, lost NFCCG
2021: #3 most injured
2020: #1 most injured
2019: #6 most injured ◄ 13-3, lost SB
2018: #4 most injured https://t.co/VV3IiQ1Qjn
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49ers injury timeline by season
2025
Notable injuries:
- WR Brock Purdy suffers toe, shoulder injuries in Week 1
- TE George Kittle placed on four-week IR with hamstring injury
- DE Nick Bosa placed on season-ending IR with torn ACL
Injuries impacted the 49ers before the season began and continued to impact the team as it got underway. WR Brandon Aiyuk and S Malik Mustapha both began the 2025 season on the PUP list with serious knee injuries, and they were joined on the sidelines by other key players along the way.
QB Brock Purdy and TE George Kittle both sustained injuries in Week 1, with Purdy missing two games and Kittle being placed on IR. In Week 3, DE Nick Bosa suffered a season-ending torn ACL.
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2024, No. 1 most injured team
Notable injuries:
- RB Christian McCaffery: 13 games missed
- WR Brandon Aiyuk: 10 games missed
- P Mitch Wishnowsky: 8 games missed
- OT Trent Williams: 6 games misssed
- RB Jordan Mason: 5 games missed
Running back Christian McCaffrey's Achilles injury was the cloud that loomed large over the 49ers' season in 2024. McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the season, while Aiyuk, RB Jordan Mason, OT Trent Williams and P Mitch Wishnowsky also missed time.
San Francisco finished with a 6-11 record and missed the postseason.
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2023, No. 29 most injured team
Notable injuries:
- WR Jauan Jennings: 4 games missed
One of the healthiest seasons in recent years for the Niners is also the most successful. San Francisco won 12 games and advanced to Super Bowl 57 before suffering a three-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Most key players were available throughout the season, with select players resting near the end of the year. WR Jauan Jennings is the most notable player to miss a chunk of time, as he played in 13 of 17 games.
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2022, No. 9 most injured team
Notable injuries:
- WR Jordan Matthews: 17 games missed (season-ending IR)
- QB Trey Lance: 15 games missed
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo: 5 games missed
In 2022, San Francisco was among the 10 most-injured teams in the NFL. Despite that, the 49ers won 13 games and advanced to the NFC Championship, where the attrition proved too much to overcome.
It is worth mentioning that the Niners did lose four of their first seven games before ending the season on a 10-game win streak. Notably, QB Trey Lance was placed on season-ending IR with an ankle injury and was replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo suffered an injury in Week 13, paving the way for a rookie Brock Purdy to emerge. In a cruel twist of fate, Purdy was knocked out of the NFC Championship with a torn UCL in his throwing elbow.
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2021, No. 3 most injured team
Notable injuries:
- RB Raheem Mostert: 16 games missed
- CB Jason Verrett: 16 games missed
- LB Dre Greenlaw: 14 games missed
- DT Javon Kinlaw: 13 games missed
- WR Mohamed Sanu: 8 games missed
The 49ers overcame a 3-5 start in 2021 to finish with a 10-7 record and advance to the postseason. That said, they were among the most-injured teams in the league, with multiple key players missing over 10 games.
In the season opener, RB Raheem Mostert suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener, and LB Dre Greenlaw suffered a groin injury that required surgery. DT Javon Kinlaw addressed a nagging knee injury with season-ending surgery.
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2020, No. 1 most injured team
Notable injuries:
- DE Nick Bosa: 15 games missed
- DE Solomon Thomas: 15 games missed
- CB Richard Sherman: 12 games missed
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo: 11 games missed
- TE George Kittle: 9 games missed
- RB Raheem Mostert: 9 games missed
The 2020 season was a nightmare campaign for San Francisco as it finished with a 6-10 record and saw 18 players go on season-ending IR at different points of the season.
Among the players whose season ended with an injury were Bosa, Garoppolo, Williams and Solomon Thomas.
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2019, No. 6 most injured team
Notable injuries:
- RB Jerick McKinnon: 16 games missed
- WR Trent Taylor: 16 games missed
- TE Garrett Celek: 11 games missed
- LB Kwon Alexander: 8 games missed
- WR Marquise Goodwin: 7 games missed
Despite over 15 players spending time on injured reserve during the season, the 49ers finished with a 13-3 record and advanced to Super Bowl 54. That said, the list of players limited by injury is exhausting.
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2018, No. 4 most injured team
Notable injuries:
- RB Jerick McKinnon: 16 games missed
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo: 14 games missed
- WR Pierre Garcon: 8 games missed
- RB Raheem Mostert: 7 games missed
The 49ers were the fourth most-injured team in 2018 and, as a result, finished with a 4-12 record.
San Francisco was plagued by season-ending afflictions, namely ACL tears suffered by McKinnon in training camp and Garoppolo in Week 3 of the season.
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Why are 49ers so injury prone?
San Francisco has run into injury misfortune year after year, but it can be attributed to just that: misfortune.
A wide range of injuries has impacted 49ers players at all positions. It is hard to point a finger at any specific cause, as turf toe injuries, ACL tears, Achilles tendon issues and hamstring injuries can be a result of many things.
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Have 49ers made training staff changes?
The Niners have made training staff changes over the past few years, hiring Dustin Little as the new head athletic trainer in 2019.
In 2023, San Francisco added a pair of assistant athletic trainers, including physical therapist Jonathan Dickey. The other new assistant athletic trainer is Katie Carden.
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