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(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers dealt with injuries all season long, and finally, not having their top talents healthy for the playoffs came back to haunt them in the 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round on Jan. 17 at Lumen Field.
George Kittle was the latest player to suffer a significant injury as the veteran tore his Achilles tendon in the wild-card round win over the Philadelphia Eagles. With the Niners’ 2025 season, the focus now turns to whether the veteran will be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 campaign.
On Jan. 18, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco shared the latest on Kittle as part of what lies ahead for San Francisco now that their offseason is underway.
“Kittle’s return is a little bit tenuous just because of the nature of the Achilles injury, and you know, will he be ready for Week 1, there’s definitely a possibility,” Maiocco said in his YouTube video. “Talked to a doctor, an orthopedic surgeon, who said it’s very possible that he could be back when the season starts.”
If the 49ers pursue a tight end either in the draft or free agency, perhaps it will allow them to take their time with Kittle and not rush him for Week 1 to ensure that the player is fully healthy once he’s ready to go for the 2026 season.
49ers Get Blunt Injury Take Heading Into the Offseason
Injuries have been a major storyline for the 49ers for a while. As a result, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones is urging San Francisco to find the root of the problem and address it as injuries have held this team back.
“The Niners have to figure out how to get healthier,” Jones said during a Jan. 17 appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “This continues to happen to them time and again because if you look at it, if they can stay moderately healthy, average health, they will make the playoffs every year. They will make noise in the playoffs. I can go on, and we could talk about how they need another wide receiver, and they do.
“They need some depth on the defense and certainly they could use some pass rush and some corner help. There’s no doubt that if they ran it back with the team that they have and even lose the free agents that they’re going to have, if they could stay healthy, 75 to 80 percent healthy, they’re in the NFC Championship game. I absolutely mean that. But instead, they can’t.”
Fred Warner Talks 49ers’ 2025 Season
Fred Warner suffered a fractured and dislocated right ankle during the team’s Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 12. The veteran attempted to return, and there was talk about him being back if the 49ers reached the NFC title game. However, with San Francisco’s 2025 season now over, he can focus on getting healthy for Week 1 of the 2026 campaign.
After the loss to the Seahawks, Warner shared his thoughts on this season and his future while speaking with the media.
“I do not plan on retiring anytime soon,“ Warner said after the 49ers fell to the Seahawks. “That was about as close as the feeling you’re going to get of being away from the game. It was fun to see the guys fight, and a lot of young players stepping up into different roles.
“I’m sure they weren’t expected to play this early in as meaningful minutes as they did. I think it was super beneficial for a lot of the guys to have played and played well for us this year to go into next year on a great foot.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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