The 49ers injury report has gotten so long that Kyle Shanahan says San Francisco may not be able to get all the way to the maximum 48 players available for Sunday’s Week 7 game against the Atlanta Falcons. If that happens, it would be an unusual roster problem for a team already dealing with another difficult stretch of injuries.
Shanahan said he did not think he had ever faced a situation like this in his coaching career, calling it a unique situation. For a team trying to stay unbeaten on the trip to Atlanta, the concern is not just who will be unavailable, but whether the 49ers can even fill out a full game-day roster.
Which players are out for Week 7?
According to Shanahan, Mike Evans, Nick Bosa, Ricky Pearsall, Deebo Samuel Sr., De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, Marques Sigle, Garret Wallow and Luke Gifford were unavailable or ruled out on Sunday. Christian Kirk was in line to make his season debut, but the overall health picture still left the roster in a difficult spot.
The Bosa situation was particularly notable because Shanahan said the pass rusher had worked out after previously saying he might be able to return for Week 5 or Week 6. Shanahan said Bosa was a little sore the next day, which surprised the team and did not help the outlook for this week, especially with turf coming into play.
Why this matters for San Francisco
Being short on available players is one thing. Being short enough to potentially miss the 48-man threshold is another. NFL teams can elevate players from the practice squad when injuries create depth problems, and that kind of move could become important for the 49ers if the injury list keeps growing.
This also fits the larger pattern around San Francisco in recent seasons. The 49ers have dealt with recurring injury issues, and this Week 7 situation is another reminder of how quickly availability can shift from week to week. Even after the win over the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, the team’s depth questions remained a major storyline.
For now, the key question is simple: can the 49ers get to Sunday with enough healthy players to avoid an even rarer roster shortage? Shanahan’s answer suggested that the possibility is very real.
