Niners Wire

49ers vs. Rams picks: Who do experts like in Week 1? Sept. 9, 2026, 9:15 p.m. PT Despite opening as underdogs for the NFL's first-ever regular-season game in Australia, the San Francisco 49ers still have real believers among the national media. We looked at 49 expert picks across seven outlets for their Week 1 predictions. Of those picks, 17 have the 49ers pulling the upset in Melbourne. Here is a brief roundup of those picks.

Sept. 9, 2026, 3:18 p.m. PT The San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday released their second practice participation report of Week 1 as the club continues trending the right way on the health front. Wednesday's report featured two differences from Tuesday's with both coming on the defensive front. Defensive tackle Alfred Collins was listed as a non-participant after tearing his patellar tendon in Tuesday's session. He'll land on IR at the end of the practice week when San Francisco makes its roster moves.

Sept. 9, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET The San Francisco 49ers were widely criticized for their 2026 draft class, especially the selection of running back Kaelon Black in the third round when they had Christian McCaffrey and Jordan James set to be their top two running backs. However, Black has impressed in his limited opportunities in training camp and the preseason after dealing with an injury this summer. Now, ESPN's Seth Walder has a bold prediction for Black's rookie season.

Sept. 9, 2026, 5:02 a.m. PT It looks like the San Francisco 49ers will have both tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa on hand when they face the Los Angeles Rams in their season opener Thursday night. While it's unequivocally good news that both Bosa and Kittle will be in uniform, we're unlikely to see both players getting their usual workloads.

Sept. 8, 2026, 9:00 p.m. PT An injury to San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins just two days before their regular season opener vs. the Los Angeles Rams has thrown a wrench into the team's defensive plans. With an already banged up defensive line the options on the interior were thin behind Osa Odighizuwa and Collins, who we had slated to start in our projected defensive depth chart. Removing Collins from the mix changes things pretty dramatically for the 49ers.

Sept. 8, 2026, 8:20 p.m. PT The San Francisco 49ers will be in scramble mode in the hours leading up to their regular season opener vs. the Los Angeles Rams following a season-ending knee injury to defensive tackle Alfred Collins. Collins sustained a torn patellar tendon during Tuesday's practice (Pacific Time), leaving the 49ers with just under 48 hours to find a replacement for their second-year defensive tackle who was on track to start Week 1.

Sept. 8, 2026, 11:07 p.m. ET The San Francisco 49ers' already-thin defensive line suffered a devastating blow Tuesday when defensive tackle Alfred Collins sustained a torn patellar tendon. His 2026 season is over. Head coach Kyle Shanahan delivered the news in a press conference Tuesday evening Pacific Time. Collins was injured in the 49ers' penultimate practice before their Week 1 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.

Sept. 8, 2026, 7:00 p.m. PT San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle appears to be making his return in Week 1 vs. the Los Angeles Rams just in time to try and make some NFL history. Kittle is sitting on 595 receptions entering Thursday night's game, which will be his 125th in the NFL.

Sept. 8, 2026, 5:30 p.m. PT There's an intriguing injury story line to follow leading up to the San Francisco 49ers season opener vs. the Los Angeles Rams, and for once it doesn't have to do with the 49ers. While the 49ers had more players listed on their practice participation report, including nine who were considered 'limited,' the Rams' practice report featured a key name among its non-participants.

Sept. 8, 2026, 7:38 p.m. ET The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday officially released their first practice participation report of the regular season. It came with lots of good news on the injury front for a 49ers club that has spent most of its preseason dealing with injury issues. Only one player on the 53-man roster was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's practice report. Nine players were listed as limited while one player was on the participation report as a full go.