Following an offseason of little to no drama for the San Francisco 49ers, the team is about three weeks away from playing in an actual NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks. The NFL draft was centered on improving the 49ers’ defense, particularly their run defense, and infusing youth into an aging and expensive roster. Robert Saleh is back, and the defense will get a shot in the arm from his ever-evolving defensive scheme. Kyle Shanahan is still the engine of the offense with his successful scheme, and the 49ers return Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, and the developing second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall.
On August 15th, things have changed around the 49ers. Injuries are mounting. Even the rookies who were counted on to contribute are working through injuries. Jauan Jennings is nursing a calf injury and is very likely to take his time rehabbing the injury amidst his contract request. The safety position is looking at a potential Jason Pinnock/Marques Sigle/Ji’Ayir Brown combination. Renardo Green is working through a hamstring injury following a stellar rookie season.
Full-blown panic isn’t what I’m preaching, but listening to Kyle Shanahan speak to Sirius XM radio might have been a wake-up call to fans regarding the team and their expectations in 2025.
Before you yell at me (yeah, right, who am I kidding), I think Shanahan’s statements and sentiment are refreshing and reasonable. People will automatically go to: Why aren’t you talking about a Super Bowl victory? Well, in a way, he is. Shanahan knows the defense will have its ups and downs based on depth and inexperience. The quote of: “My whole goal is that we get better throughout the year and find a way to hopefully get into those playoffs,” harkens back to the 49ers teams (2021 comes to mind immediately) that snuck into the playoffs and were labeled as the team “nobody wants to face.”
Anything can happen in the playoffs, is Shanahan’s point. I prefer this level of honesty over “run it back” or the seventh “revenge tour.” Now, in 2025, Shanahan and the 49ers are relying on their all-world talent to do the heavy lifting, while the first and second-year players contribute and, more importantly, round into shape for 2026 and the future.
Ultimately, every team’s goal is to win a Super Bowl, and nearly every team believes they can accomplish that (not you, New York Giants), but realistically, very few teams can finish the job. It sounds like the 49ers head coach realizes the roster depth and experience on this team will take time during the season, and sneaking in playing their best football down the stretch is their best path to playoff success in 2025.
I’m happy Shanahan didn’t proclaim this team a Super Bowl contender. That would be disengenuous and borderline delusional. However, Shanahan does know crazier things have happened in the NFL. For the first time in a long time, the 49ers are an afterthought in the NFC. It could be just what the team needs to truly shock people.
I, for one, embrace this level of honesty and expectations from Shanahan.
For a longer discussion on the topic, I was joined by Dieter Kurtenbach to discuss the 2025 49ers and their expectations. Check out the video below.
About the Author: Insidethe49
