Injuries have taken a toll on the 2025 San Francisco 49ers roster, and it showed this past weekend as the defense struggled to contain quarterback Matthew Stafford and the potent Los Angeles Rams offense, resulting in a costly 42-26 defeat.
While head coach Kyle Shanahan isn't using injuries as an excuse, he acknowledges that the team's setbacks have been challenging to overcome with key players like linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa sidelined.
Injuries during last week's practices also hampered several other players. Rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins was ultimately inactive due to a hip injury. Linebackers Dee Winters (knees) and Tatum Bethune (thigh) were able to play but were not at 100%.
"We know what our issue's been for a while now," head coach Kyle Shanahan said this week. "I think a lot of those guys got banged up during the practice week, which I think made it tough, especially losing Alfred before the game, both of our linebackers being extremely limited throughout the week. I think that stuff does catch up."
Facing one of the NFL's top offenses didn't help. The Rams currently rank sixth in scoring, and their performance against the 49ers—42 points, 401 total yards, and 31 first downs—only helped their ranking.
"But when you play against a good team, a really good offense like that, and you are in this situation we're in, you better play at your best—and we didn't do that at all," Shanahan said. "We also didn't do that versus Houston, which wasn't quite the same offense as the Rams, but it was very similar results in terms of them going up and down the field.
"Now, we held them to more field goals than touchdowns, but if you don't play at a high level when you are banged up and in the situation that we're in, I don't really care who you're playing, those will most likely be the results."
Despite the challenges, Shanahan remains confident the 49ers can succeed down the stretch. With seven games remaining in the regular season, San Francisco will face the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland Browns before their bye week.
At 6-4 and in third place in the NFC West, the 49ers cannot afford to overlook any opponents.
"So, we need to make sure that we play as good as we can each week, and when we do, I know this is a team that can win a lot of games, regardless of who we play," Shanahan said. "Whether it's a team that's looking to try to have a real high seat in the playoffs or whether it's a team that's not going to the playoffs, I don't see much difference. I see every game very similar, and that we're capable of beating anyone in this league in this situation we're in.
"But if you don't play good, we're also capable of losing to any team in this league, too. And that's what we've got to make sure that we do a really good job over these next seven weeks that we play as good as we can, and if we do, I really like our chances."
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