The San Francisco 49ers were hungry to get back to the Super Bowl this year. The injury bug had other ideas. Every year, it seems like one or two teams get ravaged by injuries, and there isn’t much the team can do. Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and many others missed significant time this year. It puts the team in a tricky position heading into the offseason. Here are the three most important questions heading into the offseason for the 49ers.
1. Do They Extend Brock Purdy And For How Much?
Get ready for endless debates. The San Francisco 49ers struck gold when Purdy proved to be a quarterback they could rely on. A rookie quarterback on a rookie contract is a huge advantage. That window has closed, as Purdy is in line for an extension this year. Usually, when a quarterback is up for an extension, he resets the market. This isn’t a usual case. Many fans and analysts have expressed concern over paying the seventh-round pick $50 million annually. Many want the 49ers to keep him but at a lower salary.
I would bank on a deal getting done. GM John Lynch and Purdy have both spoken about wanting to get a deal done quickly so it doesn’t spill into next season. It seems like the sides can come to a compromise. However, that number will still be a huge increase from Purdy’s cap hit in the past few years. Lynch and Kyle Shanahan will have to make some tough decisions on expensive veteran players and hope they can get contributions from young draft picks. What Purdy signs for is something the entire NFL is keeping an eye on.
2. What’s Up With Christian McCaffrey’s Health?
This has been a mystery all year for the San Francisco 49ers. Before the season, we heard McCaffrey was dealing with a calf injury, but the alarm bells weren’t sounding. As more news came out, the worse it got. He missed the first half of the season, and when he did come back, he lasted a few games before being shut down for the year. There are not many game-changing running backs like McCaffrey. His abilities make him a dangerous weapon, receiving and rushing. The offense was notably worse this year in part because their running backs didn’t garner the attention from defenses McCaffrey does.
The San Francisco 49ers are historically very cryptic about their player’s injuries. It makes it difficult to get a read on this situation. Was this a one-year, unlucky break for McCaffrey? If this lingers into next season, it could put a massive damper on the offense. Aiyuk will likely not be ready for the beginning of the season because of his ACL injury. Deebo Samuel has been dealing with nagging injuries for the last few years. The 49ers need McCaffrey. Keeping an eye out for news about his health will be a huge offseason storyline.
3. Can The San Francisco 49ers Find A Defensive Coordinator?
From 2017-2022, the San Francisco 49ers had the best defensive coordinators in the league. Robert Saleh led the unit from 2017 to 2020 before leaving to coach the New York Jets. DeMeco Ryans took over from 2021 to 2022 before he left for the Houston Texans. Shanahan hasn’t been able to find the right person for the job in the last two seasons. Steve Wilks took over for the 2023 season but only lasted one year. Nick Sorenson was brought in this year before he was shockingly fired last week. Having three defensive coordinators in three years is not what winning teams do.
This points to how hard it can be to continue to find good coordinators. We see this all the time in the NFL. Teams make a run, and then their coordinators get siphoned off to other teams. The fact the San Francisco 49ers went from Saleh to Ryans is incredibly rare. Shanahan will have his work cut out for him. The good news for fans is Saleh has interviewed for the job, and while his time as a head coach didn’t go well, the Jets did have a dominant defense while he was there. Regardless, they need to find someone who they won’t fire after one year.
Final Thoughts
The other question that will be asked of the San Francisco 49ers this year is about their Super Bowl window. Did they miss it? Or was this year an anomaly? The first priority is getting healthy and filling some roster holes. Make no mistake: this team still has plenty of talent and can be a factor in the NFC playoff race. Can they make another run with this squad with a good offseason?
