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San Francisco 49ers 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Does Kyle Shanahan’s Talented Squad Have One Last Hurrah for a Super Bowl Run?

Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar16/07/2025 - 11:35 am
LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 11: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers heads to the end zone on a 21-yard touchdown catch during Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Chiefs defeated the 49ers 25-22.
(Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

The San Francisco 49ers have mastered the art of giving us all or nothing for over two decades now. Going back to the 2003 season, the 49ers have gone 22 consecutive NFL seasons where they either got to the NFC Championship Game (seven times) or they missed the playoffs entirely with a non-winning record (15 times).

That streak and split of varying success is so absurd that it is the NFL record in the Super Bowl era. The closest thing to it was when the New Orleans Saints missed the playoffs and never had a winning record in their first 20 seasons of existence (1967-85).

Win 10 games and lose in the wild card or divisional round like a normal contender? Nah, the 49ers haven’t done that since 2002. They either get right on the precipice of the Super Bowl like they did two years ago when they had the lead on the Chiefs in overtime, or they fall apart like in 2024 when they finished 6-11, last place in the NFC West.

In fact, it’s eerie how similar the 2019-20 49ers are to the 2023-24 49ers. Both teams lost a tough one to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, then injuries ravaged their roster the next year, and they won six games each time.

But in 2021, the 49ers were able to rebound with a 10-7 record and another trip to the NFC Championship Game. With what almost has to be a better season of health in 2025, and a favorable schedule, the 49ers just may be ready to get right back in the Super Bowl mix this season and keep this unique streak alive for a 23rd season.

Let’s look at why regression could move in the positive direction for the 49ers in 2025, as well as the best bets for their season.

Previously on 49ERS: The Super Bowl Hangover Is Real

While this section is meant to be a recap of San Francisco’s 6-11 finish in 2024, it also serves as the reason why things should be better in 2025, as it’s hard to do what the 49ers just did one year after losing in overtime of the Super Bowl.

Things just never got off to a good start for the 49ers in their NFC title defense, and it was evident early:

  • After an annoying offseason saga about wideout Brandon Aiyuk’s trade value, he eventually signed his extension before tearing his ACL in Week 7. He caught a career-low 53.2% of his targets.
  • Superstar running back Christian McCaffrey was a surprise inactive for Week 1, and after reports of flying to Germany for treating Achilles tendinitis in both legs, he only appeared in four games during what was arguably the team’s worst point of the season with a 1-3 record and scoring 15 points per game.
  • Running back Jordan Mason stepped up in CMC’s absence, but he too was knocked out of action by injury, bringing back shades of 2020 when the 49ers went through so many backs.
  • Rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall was shot in August during a robbery attempt, which delayed his NFL debut by six weeks. Crazy enough, he finished the season as one of San Francisco’s healthiest skill players.
  • The 49ers were 0-2 without Brock Purdy as the quarterback was banged up a few times during the season.
  • Deebo Samuel missed a couple of games with injury, but his production was way down, and the team traded him to Washington in March.
  • Left tackle Trent Williams is the heart of the offensive line, but injuries cost him the final seven games of the season.
  • On defense, star edge rusher Nick Bosa missed three full games and had his least productive season (9.0 sacks) since his major 2020 injury.
  • Linebacker Dre Greenlaw had that freak accident injury (torn Achilles) in the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, so he was limited to just 34 defensive snaps in two games in December. He’s with the Broncos now as is safety Talanoa Hufanga, who has missed 50% of the games over the last two seasons.
  • Corner Charvarius Ward missed five games and is with the Colts now.
Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Levi's Stadium on January 14, 2023 in Santa Clara, California.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Those were (most of) the injuries for this team in 2024, which would have a negative impact on any team if they had so many significant injuries to key players on both sides of the ball.

With that said, I would still argue that even with all of these injuries, the 49ers probably should have still won the NFC West in 2024. They were still a top-eight offense and defense in yards (top 10 per drive), but the scoreboard was a different story.

A big reason for that was something that’s been a problem at the worst of times in the Kyle Shanahan era: Finishing games in the fourth quarter. We know this team has blown a 10-point lead in two Super Bowls to the Chiefs as well as a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in the 2021 NFC Championship Game to the Rams.

In 2024, the 49ers were 1-6 at game-winning drive opportunities and blew four leads in the fourth quarter.

  • The 49ers blew a 24-14 lead in the fourth quarter against the Rams, wasting one of Purdy’s best games ever with too many dropped passes.
  • Two weeks later, the 49ers blew a 23-13 lead in the fourth quarter against Arizona, a game where Jordan Mason fumbled in goal-to-go with 6:11 left when the 49ers could have added to their 23-21 lead.
  • In Week 11, the 49ers held a late 17-13 lead over Seattle before Geno Smith ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run (with no timeouts left) and only 12 seconds left in a 20-17 loss, completing the blown lead trilogy against each NFC West rival.
  • Technically, the 49ers also blew a 6-3 lead in the fourth quarter in their rematch with the Rams, who won 12-6 and took control of the NFC West from that point on.

It wasn’t just an offensive or defensive issue with this team blowing leads. It was a team effort, and let’s not forget that kicker Jake Moody hasn’t proven to be reliable either. But if the 49ers did a better job of closing games out, they could have easily won the NFC West again, even with all the injuries.

The good news is injuries usually regress to the mean the following season, so it would be really hard for the 2025 49ers to have a worse year injury-wise than the 2024 team did. Aiyuk is their best route runner and may not be back in Week 1, but he’ll be back early enough for the team. McCaffrey hopes to be healthy again. Trent Williams will be back. George Kittle still had an elite season. Bosa is back on defense.

Also, teams who blow this many leads in the fourth quarter usually don’t repeat that in back-to-back years either. So, just from a regression standpoint, the 49ers should have a better year on the injury and close games front.

Whether their roster is still elite enough to compete for the Super Bowl is a different story.

San Francisco 49ers Offseason Review

Beyond getting their stars back healthy, the 49ers have a familiar face back at defensive coordinator, and they’ve promoted Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator, keeping the Shanahan-Kubiak nepotism well intact.

Offense: Stay Healthy, Stay the Course

We know that schematically, the 49ers have one of the best offenses in the league behind Shanahan’s vision for play-action passes, generating YAC plays, and a strong running game. That’s unlikely to change much here, so it’s just a matter of getting healthy and staying the course.

Not having a weapon like Deebo Samuel in the backfield is a change, but maybe it’ll work out fine if it means more natural route running and receiver play from Aiyuk, the second-year development from Pearsall, and don’t forget how well Jauan Jennings played last year. The team also added Demarcus Robinson (Rams) and spent a fourth-round pick on Jordan Watkins (Ole Miss) for some depth.

The backfield can use Isaac Guerendo to back up McCaffrey, and Guerendo looked explosive last year before injury did him in as well. Jordan Mason was traded to the Vikings, but they’re fine as long as CMC and Guerendo stay healthy.

Trent Williams turns 37 years old this week, but he’s still one of the best left tackles in the game. He could even be a favorite for the new Protector of the Year award that’ll go to the best offensive lineman.

As for Purdy, he’ll take the blame for last season’s failure, even if it was more about the injuries and blown leads than anything he actually did. But he’s an easy narrative for people to knock, especially in a season where McCaffrey only played four games. But Purdy showed he can still function with everyone around him hurt, and he deserves his $265 million extension, making him the most successful Mr. Irrelevant in NFL history.

But we’ll see how Purdy responds after getting paid this summer.

The Defensive Changes: The Return of Robert Saleh   

The 49ers are no strangers to sending their coordinators to coaching jobs, but those guys don’t always work out when they leave. Look at Robert Saleh, who really only had that one great year as Shanahan’s defensive coordinator in 2019. But he got the Jets job, and after five full games with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback, Saleh was fired.

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 16: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws the football in action during an NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears on December 16, 2018 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.
(Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

But the 49ers have brought him back as their new defensive coordinator, a role that likely suits him better than head coach ever did anyway. He should be familiar with Bosa and appreciate how far his game has come since 2019. We mentioned the defense lost Ward, Greenlaw, and Hufanga, but the 49ers and general manager John Lynch made sure to invest in new troops.

The 49ers did more losing than gaining in free agency, but they signed Tre Brown (Seahawks), who has a chance to start at nickel corner in his fifth year in the league. They also added veteran edge Bryce Huff (Eagles), who knows Saleh’s defense from the Jets.

But it’s the 2025 draft where the 49ers really reloaded on defense, using their first five picks on that side of the ball:

  • With the No. 11 pick, Georgia edge Mykel Williams gives them a bookend to pair with Bosa this year.
  • Second-round pick Alfred Collins (Texas) could start at defensive tackle in Week 1.
  • Linebacker Nick Martin (Oklahoma State) and corner Upton Stout (Western Kentucky) provide depth from the third round.

It’s not the flashiest or sexiest draft class, but it’s a necessary one to replenish the defense and give Bosa what will hopefully be his partner in crime on the edge for years to come.

Best Bets for the 2025 49ers

Don’t let one bad season fool you. We were calling the 49ers the most talented roster in the NFL in 2022 and 2023. While players like McCaffrey, Kittle, and Williams are getting up there in years, they still provide Shanahan with one of the most talented offensive rosters in the game that can help Purdy look like he’s worth every cent of that new deal.

But the other exciting reason to think the 49ers are going to be back in contention this year is the schedule. The division is certainly formidable, especially if Marvin Harrison Jr. turns into a dominant WR1 like his dad in Arizona, if Sam Darnold can continue his 2024 success in Seattle with Cooper Kupp, and if Davante Adams fits in great with the Rams, who also have plenty of young talent in the front seven.

The NFC West won’t be an easy division to navigate, but the AFC South and NFC South should be a lot easier to deal with, and that’s eight games for the 49ers this year. Then since the 49ers were in last place, they get a last-place schedule, meaning they’ll face teams like the Browns, Giants, and Bears. Maybe the Bears are much better this year with Ben Johnson, but the Browns and Giants are still soundly predicted to finish last again.

The 49ers don’t have to play the Chiefs, who beat them again in 2024. They don’t have to play elite teams like the Eagles, Ravens, or Bills either. That’s not to say they won’t have any big challenges on this schedule. Maybe Michael Penix Jr. is incredible in Atlanta, and that team wins 11 games. But barring anyone making a big leap, the 49ers may not have to play a single 11 or 12-win team in 2025, helping them become one again in the process.

As for betting picks for the 2025 49ers, I mentioned Trent Williams is a nice choice (+1200 at Bet365) for that Protector of the Year award. Just think along the lines of this offense really taking off again if they stay healthy. There’s also a shot that CMC could win Offensive Player of the Year, but I’m less optimistic about that one.

But the 49ers should make the playoffs (they have the fifth-highest odds to do so at FanDuel), and I would go over 10.5 wins for them.

Now, do I trust Shanahan enough to get this team over the hump and win the Super Bowl? No, I’m not going there. But will the streak continue for a 23rd year, where they get to the NFC Championship Game? I’m not sure they’re my favorite choice for that this year, but the odds on that (+390 at FanDuel) are favorable enough that I’d be willing to bet on it.

This season should be a great litmus test for where the 49ers are. Some of their best pieces are starting to get old to compete at the highest level, but maybe 2025 can be a last hurrah (The Last Dance for basketball fans) for this team.

Or maybe we just acknowledge Super Bowl 58 was their shot, and they came up short again.

  • NFL Pick: 2025 NFL Protector of the Year Award – Trent Williams (+1200) at Bet365
  • NFL Pick: San Francisco 49ers over 10.5 wins (-105) at FanDuel
  • NFL Pick: San Francisco 49ers to make playoffs (-194) at FanDuel
  • NFL Pick: San Francisco 49ers to make Conference Championship round (+390) at FanDuel

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Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar16/07/2025 - 11:35 am