San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch takes the podium at 5:30 PM EST in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine to address media members. Coming off a very successful 12-win season, especially considering the injury circumstances, Lynch should have a sizable crowd and will have to answer some difficult questions.
What are some of the burning questions on the minds of 49ers fans and media members?
The Brandon Aiyuk saga
Lynch and Shanahan discussed the baffling Aiyuk situation, but another update will be asked for. The question that should be asked is the specific timeline of the deteriorated relationship. For those that don’t remember, before training camp, the 49ers staff, in particular, wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson, applauded Aiyuk’s involvement in the meeting room and even referred to him as a “coach” to the other receivers. Before a preseason game, Aiyuk was on the field running routes, also. We’re unsure if that was even permitted by league rules, but he was out on the field.
So what happened? What was the event timeline that went from Aiyuk being completely involved to someone who ghosted the entire organization and presented the situation that Shanahan says he’s never seen before in his time in the NFL? There had to be an event or issue that led to Aiyuk’s decision to leave it all behind and put the 49ers in this situation.
What to do with Mac Jones?
The 49ers know all too well about the value of a backup quarterback. Has any team benefited more from backup quarterbacks than the 49ers recently? Funny enough, the best backup the 49ers employed was never needed in 2023, as Sam Darnold only played in the season finale, and Brock Purdy and the team were minutes from a Super Bowl.
What about Mac Jones? The team says they have no intention of trading him, but reading between the lines, it can be interpreted as meaning the team needs to up its offers for the former Alabama quarterback. Do the 49ers truly value Jones enough to let him walk next season for nothing, or should the 49ers make a move to add draft picks for a team with many holes? Also, is the team confident in Kurtis Rourke as the primary backup in 2026 after selecting him with their final pick last season?
The 49ers’ free agency and trade deadline plan from 2025
Yes, the 49ers won 12 games and a playoff game last season, but the pass rush suffered once Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams were injured. In fact, there’s no way to say whether either would have been that much better if both were healthy. Yes, it would have been better, but by how much? The team added Keion White and Clelin Ferrell, but shied away from pass rushers at the deadline and opted to roll with their rookies and veterans on the roster, keeping their draft picks.
Does Lynch regret that decision? Would trading for a pass rusher have made a difference in Seattle in the divisional round? Probably not, but will the 49ers change their free agency approach this offseason? Have they learned a lesson about depth? Are they set with their second-year defensive lineman and adding rookies this draft, and in a position of security at the position?
What about other positions? It will be interesting to hear the 49ers’ thought process on spending heading into the draft and free agency.
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