Every NFL team faces injuries, both before and during the season. But no team wears that badge more than the San Francisco 49ers.
San Fran just finished their first week of the preseason, and their secondary is rapidly wearing thin.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed after their 19-13 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans that they will be without starting slot cornerback Nate Hobbs for an extended period after he suffered an injury in a joint practice earlier this week.
“Nate Hobbs in the practice versus the Titans pulled his groin,” Shanahan said. “So, he’s going to be a few weeks.”
Hobbs’ injury will keep him from playing in the rest of the preseason and will also cut into his time competing for the starting slot cornerback spot against Upton Stout.
Stout was San Francisco’s primary man at the nickel position last year and showed his durability, as he appeared in 16 games while making 82 tackles, with 5 pass deflections,1 sack, and 1 forced fumble.
Meanwhile, injuries have been a problem for Hobbs throughout his five-year career. He missed extensive time last season on a one-year stint with the Green Bay Packers, and the year before with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hobbs suffered a partially torn meniscus in last year’s preseason opener, which resulted in him missing their Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions. His knee injury would linger for the remainder of the season, and he would appear in just 11 games.
Hobbs’ injury wasn’t the only one the 49ers secondary was dealt, as free-agent signing Jack Jones is expected to miss some time now after exiting Thursday’s game with a hand injury on the defense’s first possession of the game.
San Francisco already lost Ricky Pearsall for the season, have Nick Bosa still considered week-to-week, George Kittle is working back from an ACL injury, and Christian McCaffrey is experiencing tightness.