It was always going to come to this for San Francisco. I just didn’t think the team would erode this quickly. What we’re seeing this season from the San Francisco 49ers isn’t just a regular Super Bowl hangover – it’s the end of their reign. I’d say dynasty, but they haven’t won anything. The 49ers have dominated the NFC since Kyle Shanahan became head coach in 2017, and though they might not admit it, it’s time to blow this team up.
The 49ers have always been “better together.” Take one key player away, they look weaker. Take two players away, they look like a different team. Take three or more players away, they’re almost unrecognizable. We’ve seen all these iterations already, and it isn’t even Thanksgiving. First, Trent Williams held out for his contract. Then star running back Christian McCaffrey dealt with an Achilles injury. On Nov. 24 against the Packers, with no George Kittle, no Williams, no Brock Purdy and no Nick Bosa, the team resembled the Carolina Panthers.
The injuries are stacking up, unsurprising considering this core dates to their first Super Bowl appearance in 2020. The bigger issue: The team is old, and in the NFL, players age quickly. The 49ers used to be the league’s most physical team. They used to bully teams; now they’re getting bullied. The Green Bay Packers embarrassed them by 28 points – what San Francisco used to do to Green Bay in playoffs with Aaron Rodgers. No one fears Deebo Samuel anymore, especially when Williams isn’t there. Eleven games in, their most feared weapon has one touchdown.
San Francisco can pretend to ignore it, but the 49ers have a Purdy problem. He’s a game manager, not a game changer. When everything’s perfect, he looks like a top-seven quarterback. But when is anything perfect in the NFL? Throughout the season, Purdy struggled without his offensive stars. Now dealing with elbow issues – not his first injury – the 49ers face contract negotiations where he’ll demand top dollar.
The crash is imminent. They have an aging core who’ve been to two Super Bowls and look like it. That’s the downside of success without winning: extra toll on your body for nothing. Last season, the 49ers led the league in Pro Bowl selections. This year, they might not have one.
If the 49ers know what’s best, they’ll break up this team and draft or acquire a new quarterback this offseason. Is it better to let go a year early or be a year late?
That’s exactly the dilemma San Francisco faces this offseason.
