Is the 49ers Defense in Danger of Unraveling With Injuries Piling up?

They can only maintain their elite level for so long with so many key players out.

No matter what year it is, a common theme with the San Francisco 49ers will always be injuries.

This time around it is the injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Almost the entire starting lineup of the 49ers defense is out or has missed time due to injuries. It is insane to see, especially considering the defense is still the best in the league. It’s a credit to the job of DeMeco Ryans and their depth.

Still, there is a concern that with all of the injuries stacking up that the defense can start to falter. They can only maintain their elite level for so long with so many key players out. Is the 49ers defense in danger of unraveling with injuries piling up?

To an extent.

Losing Emmanuel Moseley for the year stings given he was playing at a Pro Bowl level. Only Jason Verrett can fill in the void and he’s a huge question mark as to his recovery and ability, so that’s a variable for the next month. Anyone else who will slide in for Moseley won’t come anywhere close to holding it down like he did and it was evident how much of a liability one questionable cornerback is to the 49ers defense no matter how strong they are. I expect there to be at least a bit of a drop off with Moseley gone until Verrett can prove himself again.

Then there is the matter of Nick Bosa. He’s the real heavyweight here who can see the defense fall off. It all depends on how long he will be out for. I suspect he will not go for the matchup with the Falcons in Week 6. And who knows about his availability next week against the Chiefs and beyond. With him out, it will definitely have some unraveling on the defense. They can get by with Bosa out against the Falcons, but against the Chiefs and maybe the Rams will be tough. Moseley, Bosa, and even Jimmie Ward who can defend Travis Kelce are tough absences.

The bright side is that Bosa and Ward’s injuries are not a season-ending, so the 49ers defense can avoid a serious unraveling. They make take a dip in elite performances, but they have managed to still be great thus far even with so many starters out. Ultimately, the concern is really if the trend of injuries to starters will continue. So far every game the 49ers have played in has come with a cost.

Hopefully they end that trend soon so the worry can evaporate.