It has been nine days since the legal tampering period began in the NFL, and the San Francisco 49ers have taken full advantage of adding to their roster with offensive and defensive help.
Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, Vederian Lowe, and Brett Toth have been the new faces in the wide receiver room and offensive line room. Dre Greenlaw is back, and CB Nate Hobbs, who can play inside and outside, is the new face for the secondary. The 49ers retained Jake Tonges, Luke Gifford, and Eddy Piniero.
But what will the 49ers offense look like in 2026? The team will likely be without both Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, and George Kittle has an uphill battle to be back in Week 1 following his Achilles injury.
Quarterback: Brock Purdy, Mac Jones
Purdy will lead a drastically different receiver core in 2026, but it is certainly upgraded. The 49ers haven’t been able to find a trade partner for Jones, and the team will be fine with him as the backup because of his experience. The running game struggled and will need to get back on track, but Purdy is ready to do more heavy lifting with his new weapons, and not to mention a potential wide receiver from the NFL Draft. San Francisco won 13 games over the season with two different quarterbacks; the 49ers aren’t in a rush to move on from Jones.
Running Back: Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor Jr, Kyle Juszczyk
Coming off a 400-touch season, McCaffrey will be relied upon again in 2026. Now, the idea of someone else mixing in needs to be discussed. Is that Jordan James? Will the 49ers add again in the draft? Brian Robinson, Jr., is a free agent and can potentially be brought back, but would it be wise for the 49ers to continue to rely on McCaffrey in 2026? The team had a chance to bring in inexpensive running backs such as Rachaad White and Kenneth Gainwell, but as of now, this is how the room stands.
Wide Receiver: Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing
The 49ers receiver core has far more juice than last season. Evans, Pearsall, and Kirk can alternate all over the field. Evans is an “X,” but can play “F” or “Z.” The same goes for Pearsall and Kirk. Kyle Shanahan will have a lot of fun moving them around to create mismatches. Neither of the three receivers can be pigeonholed into one position.
The draft will bring in another target, most likely Omar Cooper, Jr., or K.C. Concepcion. Watkins and Cowing have an uphill battle for snap shares in 2026.
Offensive Line: Trent Williams, Brett Toth, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz
I believe Williams will be back. The 49ers would have to start Lowe in his place and would damage the team’s playoff aspirations. Toth will compete for the left guard spot, but with whom? Nick Zakelj? Toth started five games as a center, but can play guard. The other three spots are pretty locked down. Although the three interior offensive linemen all had pass blocking grades under 60, according to PFF.
Tight End: Jake Tonges, George Kittle, Luke Ferrell
Kittle will likely miss time to start the season, but Tonges was a pleasant surprise in 2025. The 49ers expressed their confidence with another one-year deal for Tonges, and he will be relied upon as a receiver with Kittle returning from injury. Ferrell will continue as the second tight end on the field and the primary blocking tight end, but the 49ers would be wise to look in the draft for a potential addition to the tight ends.
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