Shanahan shut down any speculation regarding the star running back’s injury status. According to Adam Schefter, Shanahan stated that McCaffrey “would have practiced Tuesday if it weren’t a joint practice vs. the Chargers. 49ers also have no reason to believe that McCaffrey’s missed practice time is contract-related.”

San Francisco 49ers concluded their final open training camp session on Sunday, which McCaffrey missed. The team traveled to Southern California for a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers. The 49ers will face Chargers in their second preseason game on Thursday, Aug. 20.

Expecting a healthy McCaffrey

When healthy, McCaffrey ranks not only among the best running backs in the league, but among the best of a generation. In five of the six seasons in which he played at least 16 games, he finished the year with over 1,800 yards from scrimmage and surpassed 2,000 yards in three of those campaigns.

That said, those 16-game seasons have been interrupted by several years in which he played less than half a season. Since 2020, he has missed 37 games and frequently appears on the injury report.

Should McCaffrey protest his contract?

Regarding money, McCaffrey currently earns around $12 million per year, which ranks sixth among NFL running backs. While it might seem like he should rank higher on the list, the only player earning substantially more right now is Saquon Barkley at $18 million annually.

Everyone else falls within $1.5 million of McCaffrey’s current salary. That places Christian above average for his position as one of the NFL‘s top performers, meaning contract demands should not be a relevant factor for a potential holdout.

“Just soreness, tendinitis,” Shanahan said during his press conference. “It’s a pretty normal thing with ACLs. Talking to our guys, they say it happens with about 90 percent of the [time]. So, it’s a normal thing. We’ve got to be smart here week to week, but no concerns about it being any more than that.”

With Mykel Williams on the PUP list, it will be key for Shanahan to have Bosa available from Day 1 of next season. To achieve that, caution regarding his recovery is a top priority.

Nick Bosa’s lengthy layoff

Nick Bosa suffered a serious knee injury during a September 21, 2025 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, ultimately undergoing surgery on September 26 to repair a torn ACL. The setback derailed his campaign and underscored his recent durability challenges, as the 28-year-old star has not posted a double-digit sack season since 2023—the last time he managed to appear in all 17 regular season games.

In fact, Bosa has played in just 17 total games over the past two seasons combined, recording 11 sacks during that stretch as he works to regain his status as one of the NFL‘s premier edge rushers.

San Francisco’s upcoming games

Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers will kick off their 2026 preseason action at home on Thursday, August 13, hosting the Tennessee Titans at Levi’s Stadium. Following their opener, the 49ers hit the road for back-to-back exhibition road tests against AFC West opponents, traveling to face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Thursday, August 20, before closing out their preseason slate against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday, August 27.

The 49ers must avoid more injuries

The 49ers saw their 2025 season severely impacted by major injuries to several of their foundational stars. Fred Warner suffered a season-ending fractured and dislocated ankle against Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while George Kittle was sidelined early with a hamstring strain before suffering a torn Achilles in the postseason.

Additionally, Christian McCaffrey dealt with persistent calf and leg issues that limited his effectiveness, leaving San Francisco without its key playmakers for crucial stretches of the year.

“Yeah, it depends if he stays healthy,” Shanahan told reporters on Saturday. “Mike to me is always, if you’re a starting receiver, you’re out there a ton which everyone is. I forget what it was last year, maybe hamstring, where he missed time and when that happens you miss games.

“But Mike’s going to be a starting receiver here and we don’t like any of our guys to go every play. We want our guys going full speed and it’s hard to go full speed every play. So, we’re always going to spell guys. But hopefully, he’s got a little quad right now, which I know Mike probably believes he could be back right now. We’re being smart with him, but he’s going to be good to go.”

Brock Purdy has an elite wide receiver in Evans, who can make a difference when healthy. Can this duo lead San Francisco back to the top of the NFL?

An elite weapon for the 49ers

With the addition of Mike Evans, the San Francisco 49ers added one of the most reliable wide receivers of his generation. Although injury issues limited his final 2025 campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to just 8 games—finishing with 30 receptions, 368 receiving yards, and 3 touchdowns—his broader resume speaks for itself.

Evans holds the NFL record for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to start a career with 11 straight from 2014 to 2024, bringing a elite, proven deep-ball and red-zone threat to the 49ers’ offense.

What injury is Evans dealing with?

After missing several games in 2025 due to a hamstring strain and a broken collarbone, Mike Evans is currently recovering from a strained quadriceps suffered during the first week of 2026 training camp with the San Francisco 49ers.

The first challenges for Shanahan and the 49ers

Kyle Shanahan wants to take San Francisco back to the Super Bowl, and to do so, he will need to get off to a strong start in the upcoming NFL season.

• vs Los Angeles Rams, Week 1
• vs Miami Dolphins, Week 2
• vs Arizona Cardinals, Week 3
• vs Denver Broncos, Week 4
• at Seattle Seahawks, Week 5

Following news of Shanahan’s accident, questions arose about whether he could continue leading the 49ers and, specifically, travel with the team to Australia. Lynch pushed back on those concerns, stating: “That is not what we’re anticipating. The expectation is, long before that he’ll be better.”

Still, it may come down to the wire on whether Shanahan can make the trip. Lynch’s comments leave some uncertainty entering a season that could prove tough for San Francisco, according to a report from a San Francisco Chronicle writer.

Another report suggests a longer absence

In a piece for Sports Illustrated, Grant Cohn reported that Shanahan could miss anywhere from a single week to the entire season if the concussion he suffered doesn’t heal in time. Recovery requires extended rest and total commitment to getting healthy.

Cohn consulted a doctor regarding the injury. The physician noted, and Cohn wrote in his article, that the 49ers coach was likely knocked unconscious during the crash. The doctor added that out of 100 concussion patients, about 10% recover within a week, while another 10% need a full year to heal.

An official medical update from the 49ers is still pending. Regardless of whether someone is an NFL head coach or not, head trauma demands caution to prevent long-term complications. Entering 2026, Shanahan is set for his tenth season in San Francisco.

The 49ers’ early 2026 schedule

Missing Shanahan to start the year would be a blow. Beyond the opener against the Rams in Australia, the 49ers return home for a three-game homestand against Miami, Arizona, and Denver. Heading into that stretch without their head coach would be a tough test for team morale.

“Very fast, very mature,” Kittle said during his press conference. “What is he 25? I like old rookies because they’re ready to play. You don’t have to go through the immaturity part.”

Black was selected by the 49ers in the third round of the last draft, with the 90th overall pick. While many expected them to go for a young talent in the backfield, Kyle Shanahan and his staff surprised everyone with this decision.

“We had him as the second-rated back on the board,” the head coach said on the Rich Eisen Show on April 30. “That’s just our evaluation of him. Right or wrong, that was our evaluation of him.”

The intriguing San Francisco backfield

The San Francisco 49ers boast an incredibly deep and versatile backfield engineered to perfectly fit Kyle Shanahan‘s dynamic zone-running scheme. At the forefront is the elite Christian McCaffrey, whose dual-threat capability remains the absolute engine of the ground game.

Behind him, the explosive Jordan James slots in as the primary backup, followed closely by rookie Kaelon Black, who adds a physical, downhill running style to the rotation. Further down the depth chart, the athletic Isaac Guerendo provides exceptional raw speed and upside, while veterans like Patrick Taylor Jr. solidify the unit with reliable depth and special teams value.

49ers aim to avoid injuries ahead of next season

Following an injury-plagued 2025 season that heavily disrupted their offensive rhythm, the San Francisco 49ers are actively adjusting their strategy to keep their core stars healthy. Last year, structural stability took a major hit as quarterback Brock Purdy missed several starts due to injury, while elite tight end George Kittle suffered a devastating Achilles tear during postseason.

Furthermore, because of the surrounding injuries and roster instability, head coach Kyle Shanahan was forced to overwork Christian McCaffrey, leading to a grueling 413-touch workload that lowered his overall efficiency.

To prevent another wave of soft-tissue issues and long-term fatigue, the front office has heavily prioritized depth—particularly by restocking the backfield and adding reliable pass-catching options—aiming to strictly manage player snap counts and prevent their franchise cornerstones from taking unnecessary punishment before the playoffs.

Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show, Shanahan said “I know there’s a chance to” Kittle playing in the season opener on September 10, where the 49ers will play the Rams in Melbourne, Australia.

Shanahan also stated that Kittle is working hard in his rehab. He suffered the injury on January 11th, in the Wild Card round against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kittle is 32 years old, but he is as productive as ever.

Shanahan cherishes Kittle for many reasons

Not only is Kittle a role model, with no off-field issues, but he is also an incredible football players. Kittle, as a tight end, is a superstar. He catches the ball as good as anyone, and he is arguably one of the best blocking tight ends in the league.

Hence, Shanahan loves having him. He sees Kittle as a leader of men, but also as a guy that can help both in the passing game, and in the running game. Shanahan is a run-game savant, so having an elite blocker like Kittle is music to his ears.

The 49ers suffered way too many injuries in 2025

The 49ers saw Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, and Kittle get season-ending injuries, with Bosa and Williams suffering ACL tears. Fred Warner also suffered a significant ankle injury. Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, Yetur Gross-Matos, all were sidelined for weeks too.

Even players who were relevant all season long, like Christian McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings, played under a plethora of injuries. McCaffrey’s injuries were more of a wear-and-tear matter, while Jennings played games while having broken ribs. The team hopes 2026 brings a bit more health to their roster.

By trading out of the first round, the 49ers went from six to eight picks. Per Shanahan, “That’s kind of what we were hoping for,” as he told Rich Eisen. “Our first goal was that the guy we wanted would fall to 27, but we got our second goal, and that was to trade back twice, accumulate some more picks, and still get the guy.

The 49ers ended up picking wideout De’Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd pick. According to Shanahan, they would’ve drafted him at 30. Stribling was projected as a third-rounder. Therefore, it was an eye-opening statement that they were even willing to pick him at 30.

De’Zhaun Stribling’s profile

A five-year College Football player, Stribling is a big, tall player that has a great straight-line speed, as his 4.36-second 40-yard dash showed. He is a great vertical threat. Stribling also has great hands, but he has a very specific skill set. He goes deep, that’s it.

Stribling doesn’t have great release or change of directions. However, given that the 49ers have people like Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall on the roster, what they lack is a true vertical threat, the rest is covered. Hence, it was mostly the fact that they could fill a hole on the roster by picking Stribling.

The 49ers projected offensive lineup in 2026

The offensive line will be spearheaded by left tackle Trent Williams joined by guards Robert Jones and Dominick Puni, center Jake Brendel, and right tackle Colton McKivitz. They will be in charge of pass protection and run blocking. As for Stribling, he’s not expected to be a starter.

QB- Brock Purdy
RB- Christian McCaffrey
TE- George Kittle*
LWR- Mike Evans
RWR- Ricky Pearsall
SWR- Christian Kirk

*Nursing injury.

Per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Shanahan was fully expecting on receiving calls for Mac Jones and was surprised that those didn’t happen. He then reported that Shanahan expects Jones to be back with the team for next season after no business was made.

Jones played a key role last season when Brock Purdy got injured. As the backup quarterback, Jones entered the mix and delivered. Jones started eight games and had a 5-3 record. He completed 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Shanahan should’ve tried to keep the 49ers first-rounder

San Francisco had the 27th pick but traded down to the 30th with the Dolphins, who also gave the 90th pick. Then, they traded that 30th pick with the Jets for pick no.33 and a fifth-rounder (179). Hence, no picks were made in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

However, was this wise? The 49ers had two glaring holes to address. They need a wide receiver more, and they need offensive line help. By trading down, they allowed the Jets to take one of the wideouts on the board. Also, at this point, no top-tier linemen remains. It might have been a costly mistake.

49ers GM Lynch explained the reasoning behind the trades

John Lynch stated, “Now, I will tell you we don’t have a ton of picks in this draft, so it does make some sense to where, ‘How can we find some more picks?’ And we’ll certainly be open to that.” Now, having more picks doesn’t translate to having better players.

That’s the challenge now. The 49ers need to show more capital means a better roster. It’s usually in round 1 where you find those immediate gamechangers. This doesn’t mean that you can’t find them later, but it’s way, way tougher.

A few days ago, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that he “didn’t see any pro” in traveling to Australia for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. According to the coach, it is a “fact” that the Rams lobbied for the game to be held in Melbourne specifically to avoid a “Niners invasion” of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Now, Roger Goodell has stepped in to defend the league’s decision. Speaking from Melbourne on Friday, the Commissioner emphasized that the game in Australia is a vital part of the NFL’s international growth strategy and noted that Shanahan’s primary focus should remain on winning the match.

“Coaches have a focus on winning, that’s their number one job,” Goodell said, via ESPN Australia. “Coach Shanahan is enthusiastic and a great football coach and also someone who truly understands the importance of expanding our game globally. But his job is to win. I always like to say that coaches like to play at [1 p.m.] and [4 p.m.] and don’t get in the way of that.”

Roger Goodell has key advice for Kyle Shanahan

The 49ers are clearly at odds with the league’s scheduling office. In addition to their trip to Australia, they are also slated to play in Mexico City later this season. Star tight end George Kittle expressed his frustration on social media with a simple “Woof,” highlighting the unprecedented travel demands of the 2026 schedule.

Despite the team’s concerns over grueling travel and jet lag, Roger Goodell believes NFL franchises are well-equipped to handle the logistics. The Commissioner even joked that he would advise Kyle Shanahan to download a specific jet-lag app he uses, claiming his own 15-hour flight to Melbourne was “relatively easy.”

“I have an app for [Shanahan], which I’m going to send to him,” Goodell added. “My wife hooked me up with an app, and I got to tell you, I feel great. I have not felt any jet lag at all. We’ve been here since Tuesday morning and I thought it was a relatively easy trip.”

Against the Rams in Australia, but who will the 49ers face in Mexico?

The Rams and 49ers will reignite their NFC West rivalry in Melbourne for a historic Week 1 opener on Thursday night, September 10 (Friday morning local time). However, San Francisco is also set to serve as the “home” team for a second international game at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City.

While the opponent has not been officially confirmed, rumors suggest the 49ers will face the Miami Dolphins on November 22. Although the Denver Broncos were initially considered, reports indicate the league opted against that matchup due to the similar high-altitude advantages both teams share, potentially favoring the Dolphins for a more “neutral” international spectacle.

Australia will serve as the “home” venue for the Rams’ Week 1 matchup against San Francisco. This marks a grueling international schedule for the 49ers, who are expected to make two major trips outside the United States this year—a logistical nightmare that has already drawn the public frustration of star tight end George Kittle.

While it is rare to see a divisional rivalry played abroad, Shanahan believes there was a specific motive behind the pairing. He recently claimed the Rams lobbied the NFL to move the game to Melbourne specifically to prevent a 49ers “takeover” at SoFi Stadium, where San Francisco fans often outnumber the home crowd.

“I’m pretty sure the Rams lobbied for that game,” Packers HC Matt LaFleur said about the Rams vs. 49ers game in Australia in a joint conference with Shanahan. “I know for a fact they did,” Shanahan said. “That’s what’s so bothersome.”

Los Angeles’ home-field advantage problem

As of 2026, the Rams and the Chargers continue to share SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Unfortunately for both franchises, establishing a consistent home-field advantage remains a significant challenge compared to other NFL markets.

During high-profile matchups at SoFi, both the Rams and Chargers have frequently struggled with low “home” attendance. Opposing fanbases—particularly the 49ers’ loyals—often flood the stands, creating a hostile environment that makes the Rams and Chargers feel like the visiting teams in their own building.

“That would suck to have to do silent cadence and to have our home game at their stadium,” Kyle Shanahan said. “So I get their ambitions, but they were rewarded that. So I’m just hoping we can get our request, too. I’d love them to come to Mexico.”

Who are the 49ers facing in Mexico City?

The 49ers’ international tour doesn’t end in Australia; they are also slated to host a game in Mexico City later in the 2026 season. While the official date at Estadio Banorte has yet to be confirmed, reports suggest the opponent has already been narrowed down.

According to league rumors, the 49ers rejected a potential matchup against the Denver Broncos to avoid giving a high-altitude advantage to the AFC West club. Instead, the Miami Dolphins have emerged as the frontrunners to face San Francisco in the Mexico City showcase.

“Don’t have date,” the head coach said from the league meetings on Monday, via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. “Eventually will resolve itself. Hopefully we can get something for it. We’re in no rush. We have to do what’s right for the 49ers.”

After suffering a serious injury, the wide receiver spent almost the entire last season on the PUP list. While a trade might be ideal, the San Francisco 49ers are still looking to finalize a deal that works for all parties.

The turning point in Aiyuk’s career

Brandon Aiyuk has not played a single snap for the 49ers since October 20, 2024, following a devastating knee injury during a Week 7 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. The All-Pro wideout suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee, a brutal setback that not only ended his 2024 campaign but ultimately sidelined him for the entire 2025 season due to a stagnant rehabilitation process.

Now, in March 2026, Aiyuk remains in a “messy divorce” with the franchise; after the team voided his contract guarantees last year due to issues with his rehab efforts, he has spent nearly a year and a half away from the field, leaving his future in the NFL—and his health status—as one of the league’s most uncertain storylines.

Options in the 49ers receiving corps

Kyle Shanahan is leaning into a revamped wide receiver corps to maintain the 49ers’ offensive dominance in 2026. At the top of the depth chart, the arrival of veteran superstar Mike Evans provides a massive, reliable target in the red zone that the system has lacked, while Christian Kirk offers elite versatility as a premier route-runner from the slot.

Complementing the veterans is Ricky Pearsall, who has seen his role expand significantly after a promising 2025 campaign, giving Shanahan a trio that balances raw size, tactical speed, and sophisticated separation skills as the team moves past the Aiyuk era.