49ers dealt another injury blow with DE set to miss time

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Bryce Huff. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

49ers dealt another injury blow with defensive end set to miss time

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 8:16 PM ET

The hits keep coming to the depleted San Francisco 49ers.

One day after a 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons (3-3), 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that defensive end Bryce Huff is dealing with a hamstring injury.

"Hopefully it won't be longer than two weeks," Shanahan said of a possible timeline for Huff's return, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.

San Francisco (5-2) plays on the road over the next two weeks — at the Houston Texans (2-3) and New York Giants (2-5) — before a pivotal NFC West game against the Los Angeles Rams (5-2) in Week 10.

49ers have lost another defensive end to injury: Bryce Huff injured his hamstring near the end of Sunday night’s win over Atlanta and HC Kyle Shanahan told reporters, “Hooefully it won't be longer than two weeks.”

49ers already were without DEs Nick Bosa and Tarron Jackson.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 20, 2025

Bryce Huff hamstring injury another blow to ailing San Francisco 49ers

As Schefter noted, San Francisco is already dealing with injuries at defensive end to Nick Bosa (knee) and Tarron Jackson (neck). Bosa tore his ACL on Sept. 21, ending his season after just three games. Jackson remains on injured reserve after being hospitalized following a training camp injury.

Huff has been the Niners' most disruptive pass-rusher. He ranks No. 20 in ESPN's pass-rush win rate rankings and left an imprint on Sunday's win over the Falcons, finishing the game with five tackles, one sack and forced fumble. He already has more sacks (four) this season than in 12 games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 (2.5).

With Huff set to miss time, San Francisco's ability to generate pressure will be compromised. Rookie first-rounder Mykel Williams and 2022 undrafted free agent Sam Okuayinonu are the top healthy edge-defenders on the active roster, and they've combined for two sacks (one apiece) this season.

While a bad position to be in, if any team can handle Huff's absence, it's the Niners. They've successfully weathered a litany of injuries so far, including to quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner. At this point, what's one more?

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

More must-reads: