It's no secret that the 49ers have been decimated by injuries so far in the 2020 season. Defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas were lost for the season in Week 2 with knee injuries, while a number of other key contributors on both sides of the ball have missed time with various ailments.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to a multitude of new NFL rules, and greatly limited the amount of offseason work teams could get done together. Almost all meetings were held on Zoom, and protocols around COVID-19 testing created additional hurdles for all organizational staff.
49ers general manager John Lynch, during an appearance on 710 ESPN in Seattle, attributed the 49ers' slew of injuries to the unusual offseason period.
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"This year is different, and I think it all goes to the fact that we just didn't have that offseason," Lynch explained. "We didn't have that ability to callus the players in a football mode. I think our players did a tremendous job of working really hard, but it's different. It's different than being with your team, practicing football.
"I was just talking with Bob Lange, our PR guy, before we got on, and you go back to our training camp — everybody is used to going to camp with 90. We went with 70. And then you have your PUP list. We went to camp with 62 guys, and then you're trying to callus your players in a hurry, and you're behind the eight ball from the beginning."
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The 49ers have weathered the storm as well as they can, standing 4-3 after seven games, but remain in last place in the hyper-competitive NFC West.
Sunday offers a chance for the 49ers to make a statement, as they'll visit the 5-1 Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field, sans the infamous "12th Man."