The San Francisco 49ers thought they were getting relatively healthy just in time for the regular season, especially with news wide receiver Jauan Jennings and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey were suffering minor injury scares just days before the Niners opened up their 2025 campaign on the road against the Seattle [Seahawks](12thmanrising.com).
Fortunately, both players were good to go for Week 1's showdown at Lumen Field.
Unfortunately, one of those two would suffer an injury in what turned out to be a 17-13 nail-biting win against the Hawks.
Already shorthanded at wide receiver with Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Demarcus Robinson (suspension), Jennings suffered a shoulder injury in the second half and wasn't able to return.
Making things worse, Fox Sports' Pam Oliver reported during the broadcast how Jennings was unable to even lift his arm despite attention from the training staff. While it might be a bit of a bonus that Jennings' latest injury is unrelated to the calf issue he dealt with for almost the entirety of training camp and the preseason, it's still an ominous sign a year removed from a 2024 campaign that saw far too many San Francisco players suffer critical injuries throughout the season.
And Jennings' injury isn't the only major problem the 49ers potentially face.
George Kittle joins Jauan Jennings on 49ers' concerning injury list
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Tight end George Kittle, who recorded the 49ers' first touchdown of 2025 by scoring off a pass from quarterback Brock Purdy in the first quarter, ended up suffering a hamstring injury in the second quarter, ultimately being removed for the rest of the game.
Again, another [potentially devastating setback](https://ninernoise.com/49ers-suffer-most-devastating-injury-possible-week-opener-seahawks).
After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't have any timelines for either player, indicating MRIs would have to reveal the significance of the damage and whether or not either Kittle or Jennings would miss serious time.
Left tackle Trent Williams, right guard Dominick Puni and linebacker Fred Warner also suffered in-game injuries but were also able to return.
The Niners, already shorthanded at the skill positions, are now poised to be without two of their best pass catchers for a Week 2 road contest against the New Orleans Saints. On the positive, NOLA isn't exactly poised to be a potent offense, scoring only 13 points in its Week 1 home opener.
That said, Jennings and Kittle may require a significant amount of time to recover, and Shanahan's Monday press conference will be something to watch with regard to the long-term impact of both players' injuries.
Hopefully, that's where the shade of 2024 will end.