SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- For the San Francisco 49ers players remaining from 2018, Thursday's game probably dredged up many unwanted but familiar feelings.
Decimated by injuries and with the new twist provided by the COVID-19 pandemic making matters worse, the Niners opened Thursday night's 34-17 blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers with a whopping $80.8 million worth of cap space on injured reserve.
For as much as the 49ers (4-5) wanted to put on a brave face and show the world they shouldn't be counted out, this overwhelming reality remained: What's left of these 49ers simply isn't good enough to keep up with most legitimate playoff contenders.