SANTA CLARA — The 49ers limp into their first preseason game after doing everything they could to stay healthy during training camp.
They didn’t tackle, nor did they scrimmage for more than an hour a day. The practices were relatively light. And yet, six starters on defense went down: Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Arik Armstead, K’Waun Williams, Jason Verrett and Jimmie Ward.
Now, the 49ers must take extra precautions and make sure no one else gets injured during an exhibition game, just so they can field a competitive team Week 1 of the regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.