There might not be a fanbase more hyper-focused on injury issues in 2026 than the San Francisco 49ers, and the 1st practices of training camp are already seeing those issues start up right away.
“As far as injuries, backup left tackle Vederian Lowe limped off the field and didn’t return while WR Christian Kirk walked off with a trainer midway through the session,” The Athletic’s Matt Barrows wrote on X on Sunday. “We’ll see how well-versed acting head coach Chris Foerster is on injury reporting in a moment.”
The 49ers were dealing with 1 of the more unusual injury issues in recent memory to start training camp on Saturday when the team announced head coach Kyle Shanahan suffered serious injuries in a car accident on July 14 in northern California that would keep him limited through training camp.
According to multiple reports, Shanahan broke his nose, 3 ribs, and his hand. He also needed over 40 stitches in his face and suffered a severe concussion.
Associate head coach Chris Foerster is leading the team while Shanahan recovers.
Kirk signed a 1-year, $3 million contract with the 49ers on March 18. He has approximately $80.4 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
Christian Kirk Landed Massive Payday With Jags
The Jacksonville Jaguars wildly overpaid for Kirk before the 2022 season with a 4-year, $72 million contract. With all of the guaranteed money paid out, keeping Kirk on the roster in 2025 would have cost Jacksonville a whopping $16.2 million.
That’s not money the rebuilding Jaguars could afford to pay a player who only had 27 receptions for 379 yards and 1 touchdown in 2024 after he missed 9 games with a broken collarbone suffered against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.
Instead, they unloaded him on the Houston Texans in a trade in March 2025 for a 2026 7th-round pick, and Kirk voided the final 4 years of his contract in exchange for a $14.5 million signing bonus.
He wasn’t any better with the Texans, putting up just 28 receptions for 239 yards and 1 touchdown.
Kirk Lit Up SEC Before Leaving for NFL Riches
Kirk was a 5-star recruit out of powerhouse Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, before becoming a 3-time All-SEC selection at Texas A&M. Kirk was a scoring machine for the Aggies with 4,832 all-purpose yards and 33 touchdowns in 3 seasons.
Kirk left school with one year of eligibility remaining and was drafted by the Cardinals in the second round (No. 47 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft. He was a role player through his first 3 seasons before he had a breakout season with 77 receptions for 982 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2021.
That was perfect timing for Kirk, who parlayed that into a massive free agent deal with the Jaguars in March 2022 that included $37 million in guaranteed money.
“I love Christian,” former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury told Pro Football Network in March 2022. “He’s one of my favorite players I’ve ever been around as far as doing everything right and working hard and a tremendous player.”
Kirk had career highs of 82 receptions, 1,108 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Jaguars in 2022 and scored touchdowns in both of Jacksonville’s playoff games.
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