To varying degrees, every NFL team was forced to battle through injuries in 2020 -- exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic forcing players to train on their own. Arguably, none suffered more than the San Francisco 49ers, a team that was absolutely ravaged by the injury bug last season that basically turned them into a walking M.A.S.H. unit. As they ready to try and bounce back in 2021, they'll have to do so having already likely lost two players for the season -- in early June -- with safety Tarvarius Moore suffering a torn Achilles and offensive lineman Justin Skule having torn his ACL, the team announced.
Earlier this week, the 49ers reportedly signed safety Tony Jefferson as what can now be viewed as a replacement for Moore, but Jefferson himself is returning from a 2020 hiatus driven by a torn ACL suffered in October 2019. The hope is he can return to the prime form that made him notable in his time with the Baltimore Ravens.
As for Moore and Skule, neither are starters but both are key to what the 49ers do rotationally. Moore has been activated in all 48 games since joining the club as a third-round pick in 2018, and logged eight starts in an injury-filled 2020 season. Skule participated in 31 regular season games over the last two seasons and has 12 starts under his belt in rotating between guard and tackle -- the 49ers hoping to see him battle for the role of swing tackle in training camp this July.
They'll now have to move on from that idea, while hoping they can somehow finally do away with being snakebitten in a season headlined by promise for the future, with rookie quarterback Trey Lance joining the team as the third-overall pick.
