Analyst's surprise choice for which 49er's health matters most in 2026

The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most injury-prone teams in recent years, including losses of more than $90 million due to injuries in 2025. That history has already spilled into 2026 with the news that third-year receiver Ricky Pearsall will be out for the entire year with a PCL injury, as well as several other minor bumps that could plague the team throughout training camp.

One of the biggest injuries, though, is to head coach Kyle Shanahan. He suffered a concussion and several smaller injuries in a car accident that reportedly could have been even worse. And while Shanahan is expected to make a full recovery in time to call plays from the sideline, Fox Sports analyst John Middlekauff said the head coach’s health might be more important than any of his players.

“Kyle to me is the equivalent of like an NBA star,” Middlekauff said on The Colin Cowherd Podcast. “If you got Jokic, your floor is still pretty high. You might not win the Super Bowl ever — NBA, or LeBron in his prime, or Curry. That’s what Kyle is. It’s pretty rare. It doesn’t really exist in the NFL.”

Injuries to San Francisco’s core have derailed multiple seasons over the past several years. Brock Purdy tore the UCL in his throwing elbow on the opening series of the 2022 NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia, forcing San Francisco to finish the game — and the season — without a healthy quarterback in a 31-7 loss. Christian McCaffrey’s 2024 season unraveled similarly, as bilateral Achilles tendinitis cost him the first eight games before a PCL injury against Buffalo ended his year in Week 13. Nick Bosa has battled multiple significant injuries in recent seasons, Fred Warner missed the final 12 games of 2025 with a dislocated and fractured ankle, and Dre Greenlaw tore his Achilles on the sideline just before kickoff of Super Bowl LVIII.

The list rolls on, and now it’s laddered up to the head coach.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Analyst’s surprise choice for which 49er’s health matters most in 2026