The San Francisco 49ers’ preseason has taken an unexpected turn for the worse. Kyle Shanahan, the head coach who had carefully planned a schedule of preparation, was completely thrown off guard. The joint exercises with the New Orleans Saints were abandoned because of a 49er injury report. From the looks of it, last year’s Super Bowl runner-up does not seem in good condition.
A shocking twenty-three players missed practice Thursday. But that is not all since cornerback Ambry Thomas broke his arm during Saturday’s pre-season game against the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter and thus became a casualty too. For Shanahan, this might be a major setback. He’s always been a big fan of these joint practices, often valuing them more than the actual preseason games.
After Saturday’s game, where he let someone else call the plays for the first time in 16 years, Shanahan quipped to The Athletic, “I didn’t know what to do with my hands.” Meanwhile, the injury list from the 49ers camp might have the coach more worried than him commanding the game. After all, the list reads like a who’s who of NFL talent.
Christian McCaffrey‘s calf is acting up, Fred Warner‘s foot is giving him trouble, and receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing are both nursing hamstring injuries. It’s like a game of injury bingo, and the 49ers are winning – or losing, depending on how you look at it.
But wait, there’s more! As if the entire situation hadn’t thrown enough curveballs, the 49ers are also dealing with contract disputes that make a toddler’s temper tantrum look tame. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tackle Trent Williams are both holding out, adding an extra layer of drama to an already chaotic preseason.
49ers cancel joint practices with Saints, because the 49ers don't have enough healthy players. https://t.co/f9NZJ81Vbn
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 11, 2024
Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams add to the pressure in the 49ers camp
While the injury bug is running rampant through the 49ers’ locker room, the ongoing contract sagas with Aiyuk and Williams are like a soap opera playing out in real-time. Aiyuk’s discontent has been bubbling since the offseason, with the receiver taking to social media to air his grievances and skipping workouts.
Williams, on the other hand, has been playing it cool – well, as cool as you can be when you’re holding out of training camp. The star left tackle showed up for a mandatory minicamp but has since been MIA. His beef? His contract no longer puts him in the elite club of highest-paid offensive linemen.
Shanahan has been tight-lipped about these situations. When pressed about recent meetings with Aiyuk, the coach stonewalled reporters, saying, “I’m not going to share personal stuff between us or any conversations.” As for Williams, Shanahan remains “optimistic” but admits that “nothing’s changed there.” In other words, it’s a stalemate worthy of a chess grandmaster.
These ongoing dramas are raising eyebrows faster than a Botox injection. Are these isolated incidents, or is there trouble brewing in paradise? With Super Bowl dreams dancing in their heads, the 49ers can ill afford any distractions or discord.
Meanwhile, the team’s on-field performance is burning up. This was after the 49ers fell short against the Titans during their first preseason match where they lost 17-13. But, it isn’t exactly what a squad with so many off-the-pitch issues needs to hear.
Again, through this preseason Shanahan is in focus. Will he be able to save the day on this sinking ship? If nothing else, whether or not he can walk that tightrope of an injury crisis, contract disputes, and on-field performance will mean the difference between San Francisco’s season being a box-office hit or one of those movies that go straight to DVD.
