T
he San Francisco 49ers are entering a pivotal year. Despite finishing 12-5 and returning to the playoffs after a one season absence, injuries prevented the 49ers from reaching their full potential– with their Super Bowl hopes quickly dashed in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs. Eager to win their sixth Super Bowl, the 49ers have been hard at work this offseason acquiring talent that they feel is the missing piece. Signing players like Mike Evans, Dre Greenlaw and Christian Kirk, the 49ers are making sure to address the needs that plagued them last season.
But while the signings of Evans and Greenlaw look good on paper, one NFL executive is putting a stop to all the hype of the 49ers bringing in those players. In fact, the NFL executive– who is remaining anonymous– went as far to say that those signings are precisely why the 49ers constantly deal with injuries.
Why the 49ers Are Always Hurt
Over the past several years, aside from the 49ers’ Super Bowl runs in 2019 and ’23, they have consistently been among the most injured teams in the NFL, and over the past two years especially, have led the league with players on injured reserve. And while there have been some theories as to why the injuries keep happening, most notably a discussion surrounding a nearby electrical substation, the anonymous NFL executive gave another reason for the 49ers’ injury woes– the types of players they keep bringing in.
“Everyone starts talking about the substation and, ‘Why are we always hurt?’ It’s because you sign hurt players,” the executive said via The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “Mike Evans is going to miss 4-6 games this year, Dre Greenlaw is going to miss eight, and you are going to wonder why your players are always hurt.”
While the two most expensive signings for the 49ers this offseason, Evans and Greenlaw both have dealt with extreme injury issues over the past couple of seasons, with Evans missing nine games and Greenlaw playing in only 10 games over the past two seasons. And if those two guys can’t stay healthy this season, it will be problematic for the 49ers in 2026.
The Flip Side
Greenlaw and Evans were risky investments given their recent injury history but another anonymous executive offered a bright side– if Evans stays healthy, the 49ers offense will be even more lethal in 2026. Over the past few seasons, the 49ers’ offense has been among the league’s best even in the midst of struggles and if the 49ers get the Evans they are expecting, they will be a tough team to stop.
“This guy runs 19 mph,” the executive said. “He is a back-shoulder, possession X, which has not been Brock Purdy’s game, and he’s not going to run in the middle of the field like Jauan Jennings did on those bang 8s and daggers and the deep-ins, catching it on the go and being a run-after-catch guy.”
The NFC West will once again be the toughest division in the league but if everything comes together for the 49ers, it will be a boat race for the division title.
NFL Exec Claims 49ers’ Offseason Signings are Why Team is Always Hurt