The 5 Biggest Issues That Could Derail the 49ers in 2026

The 2026 regular season is about to kick off for the San Francisco 49ers. They'll look to return to the playoffs after an improbable season last year.

It all starts with Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia. But before that game takes place, the 49ers have five issues that need to be addressed, as they could derail their season.

Left guard

Arguably, the most glaring issue for the 49ers is that they don't have a clear-cut starting left guard. They've spent all of training camp and the preseason to see who could win the job.

Unfortunately, it hasn't led to any results. No one has managed to go out there and grab the bull by the horns. It shows just how mediocre the options are for the 49ers.

Since no one has separated themselves, you should expect the 49ers to rotate players at left guard. They did that at right guard a few seasons ago when no one could cement themselves.

It's bound to happen again. In fact, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has hinted at it twice. Unless rookie Carver Willis can step up, left guard will be a liability all season long.

Nick Bosa's knee

This can be the top issue for the 49ers this season. If Nick Bosa isn't 100% this year, their pass rush is going to be a joke. They need him active and fully fit so badly.

He missed the bulk of training camp due to tendinitis/soreness in his surgically repaired knee. Bosa acknowledged that his patellar tendon was giving him issues.

That is the tendon he used as a graft for his new ACL. It's the second time he's used it as a graft, which means he can have issues all season long.

It's not something that will easily go away, especially when he is stressing it out. I can easily see Bosa missing some games and struggling to make a high-level impact again.

Safety

It's difficult to say if the 49ers have a true starting-caliber safety on their roster. Marques Sigle has the best chance of becoming that, but his showing in the preseason wasn't inspiring.

Ji'Ayir Brown is who he is, barring a miraculous year. As for Malik Mustapha, he's been dealing with a hamstring issue since the beginning of training camp, essentially.

That could pop up on him again as the season progresses. In any case, he's more of a box safety than a true coverage one who can perch atop the field.

The safeties are primed to be a liability for the 49ers, and if Bosa isn't fully fit, that will expose them further without a capable pass rush.

Aging star players

The 49ers get hyped up for their star players, but they can also be their undoing. Every one of their star players, from George Kittle to Trent Williams, is up there in age and carries a significant injury risk.

Mike Evans is one of those players. He hasn't been able to make it through a stretch of practices without having issues. Maybe he was totally fine, and it was a precaution.

But no one can confidently say that a 33-year-old player with a lot of miles on his tires will be fully fit, or at least isn't a concern. He is a concern, along with several other star players.

Christian McCaffrey is the top one after he had an insane workload last season. He didn't miss a game either. He's bound to miss multiple games this year and be less effective.

So much is riding on these star players to be active and perform, but the harsh reality of the NFL could hit these aging stars this year.

Defensive line

Adding Evans may be the highlight addition for the 49ers this offseason, but it is Osa Odighizuwa who is their best one. He will boost the interior defensive line magnificently.

However, it looks like it's going to be Odighizuwa or bust in the interior. Mykel Williams is still working his way back from a torn ACL last year.

Alfred Collins and C.J. West haven't taken the next step and are trending more towards being wasted draft picks than decent ones for the 49ers.

Rookie Gracen Halton is the best candidate to step up, and even he's not a guarantee for that. It's pretty scary to think of the 49ers' interior defensive line.

But it's not as scary as an edge rusher. If rookie Romello Height can't become impactful this year, they have nothing on the edge, especially if Bosa's knee lingers all season.

The 49ers will probably improve a bit from their league-worst 20 sacks produced last year, but not by much. Their defensive line is uninspiring.

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