The San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 training camp has become a grim spectacle, with injuries piling up at an alarming rate. Each practice seems to claim another player, often to soft-tissue injuries—strains, pulls, and tweaks that are frequently non-contact and, in theory, preventable. As of August 16, 2025, during a joint practice with the Raiders, nearly 20 of the 49ers’ 90 active roster players were sidelined, leaving fans and analysts wondering: what is going wrong in Santa Clara?
This isn’t a new issue for the 49ers. Even before Kyle Shanahan took the helm as head coach in 2017, the team struggled with preseason injuries. Nine seasons later, the problem persists, raising questions about Shanahan’s approach. While football is undeniably a brutal sport where collisions lead to inevitable injuries, the prevalence of non-contact, soft-tissue issues suggests something deeper—potentially tied to training methods, preparation, or just plain bad luck.
Slow down, @49ers. Take your time. pic.twitter.com/yrgT5u3dmT
— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) August 16, 2025
Shanahan, known for his offensive brilliance, oversees a training camp structure that differs starkly from other NFL teams. Observers at joint practices with the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, led by coaches Sean Payton and Antonio Pierce, noted their sessions stretched to two and a half hours, beginning with extensive static and dynamic stretching. This deliberate, slow-paced approach mirrors the philosophy of former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, who prioritized long, grueling practices to “build a callous” and condition players for the season’s physical demands.
In contrast, Shanahan’s practices are noticeably shorter—often wrapping up in 90 minutes, occasionally extending to two hours on longer days. To fit all necessary drills into this compressed window, the 49ers appear to rush through warmups. Dynamic stretching is brief, lasting just three to four minutes, and static stretching is often skipped entirely when the team practices alone. This hurried approach may be a key factor in the injury epidemic.
The 49ers’ head of strength and conditioning, Dustin Perry, has been with the team since 2017, the same year Shanahan arrived. While Perry’s competence isn’t directly in question—he operates under Shanahan’s direction and schedule—his methods haven’t stemmed the tide of injuries. The strength and conditioning staff’s role is to prepare players’ bodies for the rigors of football, but the abbreviated warmups and fast-paced practices may undermine their efforts. Without adequate time to properly warm up muscles and joints, players are left vulnerable to strains and other soft-tissue injuries.
The contrast with other teams is stark. Payton and Pierce, like Harbaugh before them, allocate significant time to pre-practice preparation, ensuring players are physically ready for intense football activities. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement allows teams up to three hours per day for training camp practices, including stretching and drills. Most coaches use nearly the full allotment, prioritizing player durability. Shanahan’s choice to condense practices into 90 minutes, while efficient, may sacrifice critical injury-prevention measures.
The 49ers’ approach isn’t just about time management; it’s a philosophy. Shanahan seems to prioritize speed and intensity over methodical preparation, perhaps believing his team can outsmart rather than outlast opponents. But when a fifth of the roster is sidelined before the regular season begins, that philosophy looks increasingly flawed.
The solution may be simpler than it seems: slow down, warm up, stretch. Extending warmups to include both dynamic and static stretching could better prepare players’ bodies for the physical demands of practice. Incorporating longer, more deliberate warmups—similar to those used by Payton, Pierce, or Harbaugh—might reduce the frequency of soft-tissue injuries. It’s not a guaranteed fix, but it’s a logical adjustment that aligns with practices employed by other successful teams.
The 49ers’ injury woes threaten to derail yet another season before it starts. With a talented roster and Super Bowl aspirations, the team can ill afford to lose key contributors to preventable injuries. Fans are growing frustrated, and the pressure is mounting on Shanahan to address this recurring issue. Whether it’s rethinking practice structure, reevaluating conditioning protocols, or simply acknowledging that bad luck can’t fully explain the problem, something must change.
As the 49ers limp through the preseason, the question isn’t just why they’re plagued by injuries—it’s whether they can adapt before the 2025 season slips away. For a team with championship potential, the answer could define their year.