SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Levi's Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The 49ers had a challenging 2024 season marked by injuries on both sides of the ball. Players, including running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, left tackle Trent Williams and even quarterback Brock Purdy, missed several games throughout the season. San Francisco would end up going 6-11 and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The team had a huge “Super Bowl hangover” and really needed to reload in the offseason.
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The biggest move of the offseason was bringing back defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who had been fired by the Jets. Saleh was with the 49ers from 2017 to 2020 and was part of the team when they reached the Super Bowl before leaving to become the head coach of the Jets. Saleh was a huge part of that team’s success and is hopefully going to be able to revitalize the defense, which struggled last season. The 49ers also extended their star players, including linebacker Fred Warner, tight end George Kittle and Purdy.
The 49ers also added several new faces to the team, signing quarterback Mac Jones, cornerback Tre Brown, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, tight end Luke Farrell and safety Jason Pinnock. The 49ers, however, lost numerous players as well, including the trade of wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Commanders. They also let guard Aaron Banks, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, cornerback Charvarius Ward, edge rusher Leonard Floyd, running back Elijah Mitchell and defensive tackle Maliek Collins all walk in free agency.
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The 49ers went into the NFL draft with the 11th overall pick and selected defensive end Mykell Williams out of Georgia. Williams will pair up with Nick Bosa on the defensive line to help improve a unit that was elite under Saleh before he left. The other notable picks from the 49ers were defensive tackle Alfred Collins, linebacker Nick Martin, cornerback Upton Stout and wide receiver Jordan Watkins.
The 49ers will be back for revenge this season and will hope to make it back to the playoffs despite missing them last season. The 49ers have the easiest schedule in the NFL, according to Fox Sports, next season, and will have an easier path to the playoffs than all other teams. The 49ers start their season vs the Seahawks in a big divisional game before heading to New Orleans to face the Saints in week two. The hardest games for the 49ers will be vs the Rams, Buccaneers, Texans and Falcons.
The 49ers start the season with +2000 odds of winning the Super Bowl and +900 odds of winning the NFC championship, which they won in 2023. The 49ers kick off the season in Seattle as -1.5 point favorites vs the Seahawks.
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