Getty Image / Steph Chambers
The 2024 NFL season is a huge year for the San Francisco 49ers. After last year’s heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat, this is a team that is built to win right now.
But, things are not off to a good start in training camp for the San Francisco 49ers. Injuries are really starting to pile up for the team, enough that they have had to cancel upcoming joint practices with the New Orleans Saints.
It’s not just injuries that are the issue, either, as star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is “holding in” while star left tackle Trent Williams is holding out.
But, things are indeed pretty brutal on the injury front, as Christian McCaffrey, Fred Warner, Ricky Pearsall, and Spencer Buford headline a laundry list of injuries already in training camp. Not only are those a lot of injuries, but they are injuries to key players.
That list doesn’t even include linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who tore his ACL in the Super Bowl loss and could return around midseason.
They’re mighty thin right now, and that means those scheduled joint practices with New Orleans. just isn’t going to happen.
#49ers are canceling joint practices with the Saints in Irvine this week. Team is banged up and the concern is they won't have the bodies to do the sessions right, per source.
Niners will remain in Santa Clara for practice this week leading into preseason game against the…
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) August 11, 2024
Of course, the concerns about the absences go much further than just having to cancel some joint practices. Those absences add up to top players at four positions in Aiyuk, Warner, Williams, and McCaffrey. Those guys have to be healthy and available for this team to reach the goals they want to reach this year and finally get that sixth Super Bowl they’ve been so frequently close to lately.
Christian McCaffrey’s calf strain is especially concerning. The 49ers’ offense goes as he goes. Right now, the calf strain isn’t an immediate concern. But, we’ve seen Christian McCaffrey struggle with soft tissue injuries before, and that simply cannot be the case for the 49ers this year.
Ultimately, they have 28 days to get healthy. But, things need to improve on the injury front pretty soon for the 49ers.
San Francisco lost their first preseason game, 17-13, to the Tennessee Titans.