The latest injury reports ahead of the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks matchup reveal more than a routine list of absences. Star players on both sides are sidelined, and the reasons stretch from sudden in-game breakdowns to long-term recoveries. Together, they frame a postseason shaped as much by attrition as by talent.
Inside the Injury Fallout Impacting Both the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers’ injury situation became impossible to ignore when tight end George Kittle went down during the Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The injury occurred in the second quarter after a short reception near the sideline, when Kittle attempted to push off his right leg and collapsed. He was carted off and ruled out almost immediately.
After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the severity of the injury, saying, “The trainers knew before the cart came out. They got word to me in the headset.” Shanahan later confirmed that Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon, ending his postseason and prompting the team to place him on injured reserve on January 15.
Kittle finished the game with one catch for six yards, a brief stat line that underscored how quickly the 49ers lost a central offensive piece.
Kittle’s absence compounds an already thin roster. According to ESPN’s injury listings, the 49ers also placed Nick Bosa on injured reserve following knee surgery to repair a torn ACL and Fred Warner on injured reserve after an ankle injury that ruled him out of the NFC Divisional Round against the Seahawks.
Additional names on the report include Ji’Ayir Brown, Jacob Cowing, Luke Gifford, Yetur Gross-Matos, Ricky Pearsall, Dominick Puni, Keion White, Trent Williams, and Dee Winters, underscoring the widespread impact.
Reporting from PFSN’s Shivam Damohe adds essential context to Bosa and Warner’s situations. Bosa tore his ACL in Week 3 and underwent season-ending surgery, eliminating any chance of a postseason return. His nine-month recovery timeline places his projected clearance around June, with optimism centered on the start of the 2026 season.
Warner’s case is more complicated. After suffering a broken, dislocated ankle in Week 6, he has progressed faster than expected but remains unavailable for the early playoff rounds.
NFL Network reporters Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo noted that Warner could make a limited cameo only if the 49ers advance deep into January, while FOX’s Jay Glazer reported that Warner has “blown past” rehab checkpoints. Even so, any return would be tightly managed and situational.
The Seahawks’ injury report reflects a similar strain. The Seahawks list Elijah Arroyo, AJ Barner, Coby Bryant, Charles Cross, Sam Darnold, Ernest Jones, Josh Jones, Tyric Knight, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chazz Surratt, Leonard Williams, and Riq Woolen.
The volume of names illustrates how both teams are navigating postseason football with compromised depth.
Taken together, these injuries explain why key contributors are absent and why both coaching staffs are leaning heavily on replacements and scheme. The matchup is not just about who is playing, but about how each team adapts to who is not.
