The San Francisco 49ers dealt with injuries all season long, and eventually, 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.
With their offseason now underway, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones believes that the Niners need to figure out a way to stay healthy and have their best players available for the postseason.
“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.”
Kyle Shanahan Doesn’t Hold Back After 49ers Loss
Moreover, Shanahan shared what he told his team once they reached the locker room after their loss in Seattle. After overcoming so many injuries to key players, this is as far as the Niners could go, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that they fought through adversity to reach the playoffs.
“We obviously were real disappointed with [the game],“ Shanahan said postgame. “We obviously didn’t have it today. Credit to them. Try not to harp on that. I try to know what we can discuss some of that stuff on Monday when we get back together. But I just thanked them for the whole season, how much they battled through everything.
“I know everyone in there was sick about tonight and the way that went in every facet. But I tried not to make about tonight when I was in there with them—just thanked them for what they’ve done all year. I’ve been extremely proud of everyone in that room throughout this year.”
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