The 49ers’ offense produced enough to beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, but there could be areas of concern going forward.
The team placed star tight end George Kittle on injured reserve Tuesday with a hamstring injury, putting him out for at least four weeks.
With Kittle out, star running back Christian McCaffrey could face more responsibility to keep the chains moving.
“If defenses key in on Christian McCaffrey, which is what’s going to happen, can you continue to punish them with Ricky Pearsall?” Mina Kimes asked Tuesday on ESPN’s “NFL Live.”
Pearsall, the 49ers’ second-year receiver out of Florida, notched a team-high 108 receiving yards against the Seahawks, including a 45-yard reception to kickstart the game-winning touchdown drive.
But, as Kimes alluded to, the 49ers relied heavily on McCaffrey in Week 1 despite the running back being questionable with a calf issue heading into Sunday’s matchup. McCaffrey logged 31 touches against the Seahawks, his most in a game since Week 15 at Seattle in 2022.
Kimes’ co-panelist Dan Orlovsky expressed concern about McCaffrey’s usage early into the season.
“Thirty-one touches, are we going into October with 120, 130 touches for McCaffrey?” Orlovsky wondered. “It’s a lot to weather in San Francisco right now.”
McCaffrey missed the first eight games last season due to Achilles tendinitis. After returning for four games in 2024, his campaign was cut short with a season-ending PCL injury.
Kimes also pointed out that quarterback Brock Purdy faced a lot of pressure from the Seahawks’ defense.
The 49ers allowed 15 pressures, tied for the most in the NFL in Week 1. Kimes argued that pass protection must improve to allow Purdy and the 49ers’ pass game to operate smoothly in Kittle’s absence.
Kittle missed two games last season with a hamstring injury. San Francisco lost both of those games.
The 49ers are 2-5 since 2021 in the seven games that Kittle has missed due to injury.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast