49ers Face Secondary Injury Woes

Every NFL team contends with injuries, but the San Francisco 49ers seem to have a knack for attracting them more than others.

Having just wrapped up their first week of preseason, the team’s secondary is facing significant setbacks.

Following a 19-13 defeat to the Tennessee Titans, head coach Kyle Shanahan shared the grim news. They won’t have their starting slot cornerback, Nate Hobbs, who suffered an injury during joint practices earlier in the week and will be out for quite a while.

“Nate Hobbs pulled his groin during practice with the Titans,” Shanahan explained, adding, “So he’ll be in for a few weeks.”

This setback means Hobbs is out for the rest of the preseason, which puts a damper on his chances to secure the starting cornerback position against Upton Stout.

Stout, who was reliable at the nickel position last year, appeared in all 16 games, racking up 82 tackles, five pass deflections, one sack, and a forced fumble.

Injuries have, unfortunately, plagued Hobbs throughout his career. After a year with the Green Bay Packers, he missed a considerable amount of time with the Las Vegas Raiders the previous year. He had a partial meniscus tear and missed the preseason opener last year, along with Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. His knee issues lingered the whole season, allowing him to participate in only 11 games.

The 49ers are not just dealing with Hobbs’ injury. Free agent signing Jack Jones is also expected to be sidelined after sustaining a hand injury during the game on Thursday, just on the defense’s opening possession.

In addition, San Francisco has seen Ricky Pearsall lost for the season, while Nick Bosa is regarded as week-to-week. George Kittle is coming back from a torn ACL, and there’s some concern about Christian McCaffrey due to a strain.