The list of San Francisco 49ers players dealing with injuries during training camp continues to grow with each passing practice. And I'm not talking about players already on injury lists, such as tight end George Kittle, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, or defensive end Mykel Williams, who is attempting to return from a torn ACL.
There is also wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, a projected starter many expected to break out in 2026 and provide the 49ers offense with an additional boost. Pearsall was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to lingering issues stemming from the PCL injury he suffered last season.
Additionally, defensive end Mikail Kamara suffered a torn ACL during Saturday's practice. The 49ers waived him with an injury designation, and after clearing waivers, he reverted to the team's injured reserve list on Monday.
Beyond those significant injuries, several other 49ers players are currently missing practice due to various setbacks. The growing list has reignited the chatter about the effects of the electrical substation located next to the 49ers' practice facility, which became a major topic of discussion during the offseason.
While rookie defensive end Romello Height (elbow) and second-year defensive tackle C.J. West (undisclosed) returned to practice on Monday, the following 11 players did not participate—not counting those on injury lists:
- RB Kaelon Black (adductor)
- WR Mike Evans (quad strain)
- DT Gracen Halton (knee bone bruise)
- RB Jordan James (rib fracture)
- CB Jack Jones (soreness, rest)
- WR Christian Kirk (calf strain)
- OT Vederian Lowe (high-ankle sprain)
- S Malik Mustapha (hamstring strain)
- DE Cameron Sample (knee)
- WR De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring)
- DE Keion White (adductor)
Some setbacks appear to be less serious than others. For example, the 49ers are reportedly taking a cautious approach with Mike Evans and De'Zhaun Stribling, whose injuries do not appear to be major concerns. Stribling, in particular, is dealing with hamstring tightness rather than a strain.
A Bay Area radio station interviewed Evans before Monday's practice, which probably wouldn't have been the case if the receiver was dealing with a more serious setback.
Although the injury list is lengthy this early in training camp, there is still optimism that most of these players will be available by the start of the regular season. At this point, there is no reason to be overly concerned, but the team will continue to closely monitor the situation as camp progresses.
The 49ers will open their preseason schedule against the Tennessee Titans on August 13 before facing the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders on the road to close out the exhibition schedule. The team will then travel to Melbourne, Australia, to prepare for the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on September 10.
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