The San Francisco 49ers had a blip in the road during the 2024 NFL season with a 6-11 record. They missed the playoffs and had a ton of injuries.

Running back Christian McCaffrey, quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and other key players on the roster were some of the guys who suffered injuries. The 2025 NFL season will be a big year for this franchise. If they are to miss the postseason once again, head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch could be in hot water.

NFL Analyst Makes Statement About the San Francisco 49ers Entering the 2025 NFL Season

Yahoo Sports analyst Frank Schwab is ranking his NFL teams one-by-one entering the 2025 NFL season. He has the 49ers ranked 13th on his list. Schwab could have San Francisco a little high. He thinks injuries derailed there 2024 NFL season, but Schwab knows that they have to stay healthy in 2025 to win games despite an easy schedule. He said,

“And yet, the 49ers built such a deep, talented roster over the past few years that there’s hope for this season. McCaffrey should be back. Purdy is an efficient master of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Other players like George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are among the best in the NFL at their positions. Shanahan is one of the NFL’s best coaches, and he made a good hire to bring Robert Saleh back as defensive coordinator. BetMGM has the 49ers with one of the highest win totals in the NFL, at 10.5, and it’s justifiable. The 49ers had one of the unluckiest seasons possible, and that won’t repeat. There’s tremendous talent on hand.

It’s just a bit tougher now. Those stars are a year older. The roster took some hits. We can’t be sure if McCaffrey, at age 29, is further beyond his prime than we realize. Last year, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that San Francisco would be one of the best teams in the NFL. Going into this season, it’s hard to know what the 49ers will be.”

They will not be the favorite to win the NFC West division. San Francisco is going to be tested out of the gates in Week 1 on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams will be picked by a lot of people to win the NFC West. Also, the Arizona Cardinals will not be an easy game on the schedule.

If McCaffrey misses time due to injury once again, there will be a lot of pressure on Purdy to perform, since he received a contract extension this offseason. There is a chance that Lynch could potentially have buyer’s remorse on the Purdy contract if he has another bad season. The 49ers have talent to make the playoffs, but whether they make it or not in the NFC Conference will be another story altogether.