Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at every team in the NFL, in order of projected 2024 win totals. Up next: the 49ers.
In four of the past five seasons, the San Francisco 49ers have been tantalizingly close to a Super Bowl victory.
Yet in each of those campaigns, all culminating in at least an NFC championship game appearance, San Francisco has come up empty. With a slew of stars hitting free agency over the next two offseasons, and quarterback Brock Purdy being extension-eligible after this season, the Niners are running out of time with this group.
But for 2024, San Francisco is arguably the team to beat in the NFC, boasting All-Pros in almost every position room.
It’s just a matter of finally putting everything together come February.
Biggest gamble this offseason: Not extending Brandon Aiyuk
Aiyuk, 26, is one of the league’s better receivers. However, he’s not yet a superstar, with zero Pro Bowls and a lone second-team All-Pro nod after racking up 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Now with one year remaining on his deal, Aiyuk didn’t show up for the offseason program but will likely be there for camp and the start of the regular season. If the veteran receiver dominates and has another career year, he’ll only be more expensive in a market that has seen salaries explode with the contracts of Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and others.
For the Niners, this could well become a decision between moving on from Deebo Samuel next winter or paying Aiyuk like a top-five receiver.
Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 12 to 17
If the 49ers get back to the Super Bowl for the third time in six seasons, they’ll have earned it. San Francisco has a rough schedule, but no portion is tougher than this one, which begins against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. From there, the Niners will go cross-country to play the Buffalo Bills before coming home to welcome in the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams.
Then, it’ll be another long road trip for a date with the Miami Dolphins. Finally, the 49ers will return to Levi’s Stadium to play the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football in the season’s penultimate week.
Breakout player to watch: CB Deommodore Lenoir
In his second year as a full-time NFL starter, Lenoir showed why he’s one of the better slot corners in the game.
Playing 90% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps in 2023, Lenoir amassed 10 passes defensed, three interceptions and 84 total tackles (58 solo). Entering a contract year, Lenoir is poised to become more of a national name, as both he and the Niners continue to ascend.
After starting his career on the perimeter before sliding into the nickel role, Lenoir appears confident in his responsibilities. Don’t be surprised if he contends for personal accolades this season.
Best-case scenario: The Niners finally get over the proverbial hump
No NFC team has been more consistently excellent over the last half-decade.
With almost every key player back from last year’s team, the Niners appear loaded once more, with a more experienced quarterback in Purdy, who enters his third season and second as the clear-cut starter.
While the NFC is improving, San Francisco has a path to being the No. 1 seed for the third time in six seasons. And if the 49ers are able to secure a first-round bye, winning two home playoff games to once more reach Super Bowl Sunday is well within their reach with a legitimate dozen All-Pro candidates.
Worst-case scenario: The same problems keep the Niners down
Despite excellence under Kyle Shanahan, the Niners have been justifiably criticized over the years for his in-game failures in big moments. Think about the decision to start overtime with the ball in Super Bowl LVIII or the inability to handle two-minute scenarios.
Then there’s the question of Purdy. Despite throwing for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl season, there are still some who believe he’s a product of success and not a driver of it. Can he continue improving, or will he slide backward if key players such as Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Samuel miss some time due to injuries?
San Francisco should be a playoff team barring total disaster, but the ultimate goal largely relies on handling the small details better than in previous years.
Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking
No. 9: Shanahan (6) and Purdy (15)
Purdy is ranked probably right where he belongs. The 49ers will soon tell us their opinion of the former Mr. Irrelevant with their QB being extension eligible after the 2024 season. Meanwhile, he will try to put together another quality year while Shanahan attempts to win a Super Bowl, the only thing he hasn’t accomplished as a coordinator or coach.
Fantasy pick: WR Ricky Pearsall
The 49ers are loaded with fantasy superstars, so there won’t be any real surprises with their players when it comes time to draft. Still, Pearsall, a rookie out of Florida, will be worth a late-round flier. After all, he could push for third on the wide receiver depth chart, and the situation between the team and Aiyuk doesn’t seem to be, well, golden, at this point. —Michael Fabiano
Best bet: 49ers NFC champs (+275) at BetMGM
Despite a larger percent of the tickets and the handle being on the Lions to win the conference, there’s a reason why the Niners are the favorites. Shanahan has a winning system, the key players are returning and Purdy has one more year under his belt. —Jennifer Piacenti
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 32 Teams in 32 Days: 49ers Have Done Everything But Win the Super Bowl.
