Despite all their injuries, the San Francisco 49ers went on the road to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 at Lincoln Financial Field in the Wild Card Round. Moreover, in this game, the Niners added to their list of injured players with George Kittle going down with a torn Achilles tendon.
FOX Sports cameras caught Kittle leaving the field on a cart. ESPN’s play-by-play showed Kittle was injured on a short Brock Purdy completion early in the second quarter, with Philadelphia in front 13-7 at that moment.
Nonetheless, San Francisco was able to rally back after losing their tight end to secure the victory. After the win, 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings, who threw a touchdown pass on a trick play, spoke about the team’s mental toughness in overcoming the Kittle injury.
“I think it just shows the resilience of this team all year,” Jennings told NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “That’s what we’ve been dealing with, injuries, next man up. And this team, I think, we just live by that.”
Richard Sherman Issues Honest Take on Niners Win
Despite being on the road and already losing Kittle, the 49ers could have laid down against the reigning Super Bowl champions. However, after overcoming so many injuries, the Niners again showed their mental toughness and secured the victory.
After the 49ers defeated the Eagles, former Niners cornerback Richard Sherman didn’t hold back his thoughts on San Francisco’s performance, considering Philadelphia had all its starters.
“Eagles played with almost all of their day 1 starters available,” Sherman wrote on X on Jan. 11. “The 49ers came in without so many of their starters, and they just continue to find a way. Great performance by the 49ers’ Defense! Eric Kendricks’ impact was felt all game, but never more than that last play! Veterans feel all game long. Sound tackling and poise!”
49ers Could Get Good News If They Advance to NFC Title Game
The Niners will have another chance at revenge against the Seattle Seahawks, who defeated them in Week 18 to secure the NFC West division title and the No. 1 seed in the conference, which comes with a bye week. Still, the 49ers did beat Seattle in Week 1, so this will be a tightly contested matchup.
Additionally, there could be good news if the 49ers can reach the NFC title game. Since the early part of the 2025 NFL season, San Francisco have been without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner.
Nonetheless, over the last couple of weeks, there’s been talk that Warner could return if the 49ers have a deep playoff run. Well, there’s more confirmation that this situation could play out. On Jan. 10, FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer shared that Warner returning if the Niners reach the NFC title game is a real possibility.
“Fred Warner has blown past all his rehab markers,” Glazer said on the FOX NFL pregame show before the Los Angeles Rams–Carolina Panthers playoff game. “I’m actually told if they get to the NFC Championship game, they’re holding out hope. They think there could be a chance that Fred Warner could actually go in that game.”
Jauan Jennings Gets Blunt on 49ers Win After George Kittle Injury