NFL Executive Rips into 49ers Over Injury-Prone Roster Moves

Is this a fair criticism?

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

An unnamed NFL executive has ripped into the San Francisco 49ers, claiming their tendency to sign injury-prone players is a major reason behind their ongoing injury crisis.

The league is well aware of the 49ers’ struggles with injuries in recent years, as the issue continues to hang over them season after season, often leaving them among the most depleted teams.

Last year, the spotlight intensified as several key starters missed significant time or suffered season-ending injuries, including Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.

An NFL executive has dismissed the substitution theory that clouded the latter part of the season as a potential issue, a view backed by general manager John Lynch, who labeled the idea a “nothing burger” at the NFL’s annual meetings.

“Everyone starts talking about the substation and, ‘Why are we always hurt?’ It’s because you sign hurt players,” shared an unnamed executive 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.”

This executive has called out the 49ers for bringing in players who are just injury-prone, and to a large degree, there is an element of truth in this one.

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 49ers have previously made gambles with trade and free agent moves on players with injury issues in the past, often prioritizing elite talent and upside over durability, a strategy that has delivered mixed results across multiple seasons.

But on top of that, the 49ers' recent NFLPA report card places their training room and training staff among the worst in the league.

It's a key problem, but it's being addressed after Lynch announced a $9 million injection and the addition of more personal trainers.

That investment signals a clear effort and intent to modernize their approach to player health, recovery, and injury prevention, and could play a crucial role in determining whether their long-standing issues can finally be corrected moving forward.

If San Francisco can finally avoid the influx of injuries that has plagued recent seasons, the ceiling of 2026 is exceptionally high. Last time they had fewer injuries over the course of a season, they reached the Super Bowl.

With the NFL Draft on the horizon, the talent is already there, but health has been the missing piece. With their core intact and firing on all cylinders, they could emerge as one of the most complete teams in the NFL and firmly re-establish themselves as a team that could go all the way.