The San Francisco 49ers were hoping to stay healthy this season. Last year, they couldn’t buy a stroke of good luck on the injury front.
Unfortunately, with the 2025 NFL season just one week in, the 49ers are already dealing with an injury crisis.
George Kittle, the team’s star tight end, will miss at least the next four games after being placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury. There is even concern about San Francisco having to play without star quarterback Brock Purdy in Week 2.
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Purdy is dealing with a left shoulder injury. He is also dealing with a toe injury as well. Those are not things teams want their starting quarterback working through after just one game.
With that being said, one former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst is also worried about superstar running back Christian McCaffrey.
During an appearance on “NFL Live,” Dan Orlovsky spoke out with his concerns about McCaffrey. He thinks that due to the injury crisis the 49ers are already going through, the team might lean too heavily on McCaffrey.
“I get concerned with McCaffrey touches,” Orlovsky said. “I mean, 31 touches in Week One in September. Because the initial thought is, well, Kittle’s hurt. McCaffrey was the guy last week. And so look at the touches per 2019 per game. Like, 31 touches. Are we going into October with 120, 130 touches for McCaffrey? It’s a lot to weather in San Francisco right now.”
He makes a very good point. McCaffrey couldn’t stay healthy last season and only played in four games. San Francisco cannot afford him to go down with injury issues again.
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In Week 1, the 29-year-old running back carried the football 22 times for 69 yards. He also caught nine passes for 73 yards.
Granted, the 49ers want to get McCaffrey the football. However, they have to be careful not to overwork him. If he were to get hurt, the offense would be in major trouble, especially without Kittle on the field and Purdy dealing with injuries.
Sadly, the 2025 season has started off how the 2024 campaign went for San Francisco. It’s still early, but the frustration is already beginning to mount for the 49ers.
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