The worst aspect of the NFL preseason each and every year is the injuries.

Even though teams are playing their star players far less in the preseason, injuries — including long-term — are inescapable in a contact sport. The San Francisco 49ers are well aware of that after they've been hit by the injury bug more than most NFL teams in the Kyle Shanahan era.

On the Amazon Prime “Thursday Night Football” pregame show before the 49ers-Texans tilt on Thursday, Niners general manager John Lynch dropped some bad news for San Francisco's secondary. The team will place underrated free safety Jimmie Ward on the injured reserve list once the 2022 season commences, via The Athletic's David Lombardi. Ward will be forced to miss the 49ers' first four games of the season, at least. He'll miss games against the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

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That's a big hit for a franchise that will look to start the season strong with new starting quarterback Trey Lance under center.

The Niners will look to patch the hole at free safety with either free-agent signing George Odum, Tarvarius Moore, Dontae Johnson or Teshaun Gipson. They are already without big-ticket signing Charvarius Ward, who is missing time with a groin injury. He's expected to be ready for Week 1 against the Bears.

Ward, a former first-round pick, hasn't received the accolades of other safeties in the league, he's become an integral part of the Niners' staunch defense and a vocal leader of the secondary.