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Former 49ers 3rd-round pick finds new home with Eagles

The #49ers lost another former third-round RB to the Eagles.

Kyle Madson
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Off the Field: 49ers Share Heartfelt Messages on 2023 Season ❤️

San Francisco 49ers players took to social media to reflect on the highs, lows, lessons learned and memories cherished from the 2023 NFL season.

Briana McDonald
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One free agent signing that would plug a big hole on the 49ers offense

Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images An experienced, dominant, player who played in a similar offense It would be difficult for the San Francisco 49ers to go into the 2024 regular season with the same starting guard as they did this past season. For two seasons, Spencer Burford was a rotational piece with another veteran. The Niners need stability at the position. Under Kyle Shanahan, the right guard has been the least prioritized position. They’ve been able to “get by” with a fourth-rounder for two seasons, and this is after shuffling through undrafted free agents and journeymen. That has to change. And I believe it will after a handful of mistakes that cost the 49ers a Super Bowl. It’s tough to blame the 29th pick of the fourth round. He was never supposed to be in this position. Per Sports Info Solutions, Burford had the 9th-highest blown block percentage among all right guards. He was much better against the run, but his inexperience in pass protection reared its ugly head at the worst possible moments. It’s why the Niners turned to Jon Feliciano, who had been in the NFL since 2015. Feliciano was better, but he’s an unrestricted free agent and far from the “future” at the position. There’s a free agent at right guard who could solve the 49ers problem at right guard. He played in an offense similar to San Francisco’s. ESPN’s Matt Bowen identified Miami Dolphins right guard Robert Guard, who they have ranked as the 14th best free agent, as the 49ers being his best fit: 14. Robert Hunt, G Best team fit: San Francisco 49ers The 49ers can upgrade at the right guard position with Hunt, who in Miami showed he has the ability to win in pass protection and the skill set to block in multiple run schemes. That’s a fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense, which needs help on the offensive line; San Francisco was 20th in pass block win rate last season (55.6%). Hunt was a second-round pick in 2020, so the pedigree is there. He’ll turn 28 by the time the season starts. While he did miss time with an injury this past year, he didn’t miss a game in the previous two seasons. When Hunt was on the field, he was excellent. In ten games, he only had four blown blocks and one penalty. Burford’s blown block percentage was 3 percent. Hunt’s was 0.8 percent this year, 1.3 percent last year, and 2.0 in 2021. He’s gotten better every season. This next contract should be Hunt’s “prime” years. Spotrac’s market value had Hunt earning a contract for four years at $47.4 million, equating to roughly $11.8 million per season. That would make him the 16th-highest-paid guard in the NFL. The 49ers may get a bit of a discount since Hunt missed seven games in 2023. If the team elects to restructure one of their team captains’ contracts, fitting Hunt under the salary cap should be relatively easy. Now, there will be a healthy market for Hunt, who has played close to a dominant level for three seasons. So, the 49ers won’t be the only team in the running. But they give Hunt a chance to win, get the recognition he deserves, and play in an offense he’s already familiar with. Having experience at right guard will take pressure off Colton McKivitz or whoever starts at right tackle. It’ll also help the center. Whatever the 49ers elect to do, investing in one of these positions must be a top priority. And you’re unlikely to find a better option than Hunt.

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Ty Davis-Price signs with the Eagles on a reserve/future contract

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images TDP finished the season on the 49ers practice squad Per his agency, former San Francisco 49ers third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price is signing a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles: Congratulations to our very own Tyrion Davis-Price (@TyDavisPrice) on signing the biggest R/Future contract in the league ‼️The best contract out of 396 this year. Don’t mind him, just writing history. Ball out in Philadelphia, TY! #FlyEaglesFly @lsufootball pic.twitter.com/D5CBtCPEoI— Elite Loyalty Sports (@eliteloyaltysp) February 20, 2024 It’s a reserve/future contract for Davis-Price, who is following in the footsteps of the running back the 49ers drafted to replace Trey Sermon, who spent the 2022 regular season with the Eagles before joining the Indianapolis Colts this past year. Drafting TDP at the time was puzzling, and it’s the type of draft picks the team could get away with because they were winning — but it hurt their depth in the long run. One year after drafting Sermon in the same round, the Niners doubled down on a running back who played in a pre-dominant gap scheme. After selecting Aaron Banks in the second round the year prior, perhaps it was a sign that Kyle Shanahan was leaning into more of a man-to-man blocking scheme. But that never happened; TDP — despite hollowless offseason hype — never amounted to the running back the 49ers envisioned him to be. At the time of the draft, pundits had projected Davis-Price closer to the fifth round than the third. But some thought the Niners had a plan for him. He had an opportunity in Week 2 of his rookie season, suffered an injury, and never had double-digit carries for the rest of his career. His stint in San Francisco was brief. There were a few notable starters selected after him, including Kerby Joseph, Zach Tom, Isaiah Likely, and Cobie Durant. Best of luck to TDP in Philly.

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4 restructure candidates that could create cap space for the 49ers

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images Expect the team captains to get approached at some point during the next month about a potential restructure. The San Francisco 49ers front office has been consistent in the way they structure contracts for their star players. It allows them to push money down the road and, eventually, restructure deals in case they need to create cap space down the line. It gives the team an out for any potential free agent signings, a star player who deserves an extension, or another unforeseen aspect that requires them to spend. Let’s go over four candidates the Niners could restructure during the next month. Trent Williams Williams will be 36 by the time training camp rolls around. He’s still an All-Pro and playing at an elite level, and his play has shown no signs of drop-off. The 49ers' star left tackle is still under contract for three more seasons before his deal voids in 2027. That makes Williams the most obvious restructure candidate. Per Over the Cap, here’s what the Niners would save in cap space during the next three seasons: 2024 - $14.20M2025 - $14.23M2026 - $15.50M If we assume Williams will either play out his contract or retire with the 49ers, the decision to restructure him is a no-brainer. Deebo Samuel If you do the same for Deebo, you’re committing to him for two more seasons. The way Samuel’s contract is set up, you either restructure his deal or trade him. A post-June 1 trade would save around $16 million in 2024 and $13 million in 2025. Is the potential risk of injury worth shipping Deebo off? Teams have gone out of their way to find a Deebo clone but have yet to find it. Their offense went from high-powered to unstoppable when he was on the field for San Francisco. His presence made all of the difference in the world, and it’s evident how Kyle Shanahan feels about him. Which is why a restructure would make just as much sense. The 49ers would save $15.14 million in 2024 and $10.42 million in 2025 by doing so. And when Samuel turns 30 in 2026, his contract voids. Arik Armstead Armstead would be the definition of a temporary fix, as his contract expires after the 2024 seasons. Still, by restructuring the veteran’s deal, the 49ers would save $12.22 million this upcoming season in cap space. They could also work out an extension for their team captain. Fred Warner The theme here is that your best/core players are the ones you plan on having around for a while, so you have the luxury of moving money around. Warner is no different. Warner is under contract for three more seasons and has been one of the most durable players on the team. You won’t save as much money as you would by restructuring some of the names listed above, but it’s still the difference in signing a starting-caliber player. Here’s what the Niners would save during the next three seasons if they restructured Warner: 2024 - $10.7M2025 - $11.05M2026 - $8.26 With free agency approaching, the 49ers may identify a player or two they feel like they can’t lose out on. If that’s the case, we can expect a couple of these players to have their contracts restructured.

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The high point of the 2023 49ers season

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images There were plenty of memories to take away from this past season Although the 49ers didn’t finish the job in 2023, there were plenty of memorable moments during the regular season and playoff run. Immediately, the drubbings of Dallas and Philadelphia come to mind. Destroying a long-time rival on national television will always be satisfying. The win over Philadelphia was sweet because the 49ers returned to the site of their NFC Championship defeat and broke the Eagles. Just ask Lane Johnson. Lane Johnson admits after the 49ers “dismantled” the Eagles, “maybe teams piggybacked off of that.” pic.twitter.com/W0Il7RrIwe— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) February 9, 2024 Beating the Seahawks on Thanksgiving in Seattle and eating turkey on their field is something we’ll never forget. It’s a revenge story for the ages, as 49ers fans can use that to combat memories of Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson eating on the 50 of Levi’s Stadium. The comeback victory in the divisional round against Green Bay is definitely up there. In the rain, the 49ers fought back to steal victory from the Packers and return to the NFC Championship game. Kyle Shanahan defeated Matt LaFleur and erased the narrative of not being able to come back in the fourth quarter. For me, the high point of the 49ers season was the NFC Championship game. A week after the 49ers clawed and scraped their way to a victory, the Detroit Lions came out and punched the 49ers in the face for an entire half. A 17-point deficit is so tough to come back from, but the 49ers did just that. The facemask catch by Aiyuk, the forced fumble on Jahmyr Gibbs, and the game-tying touchdown by Christian McCaffrey all come to mind as the 49ers once again defied the odds and stormed back to clinch a Super Bowl berth. McCaffrey finished with 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Shanahan had another comeback victory, and Brock Purdy continued to make plays in the clutch. Winning the George Halas trophy is a memory we’ll have forever. January 28 was the high point of the 2023 49ers season. What’s your answer?

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ESPN insider believes the most likely outcome this offseason involves trading Brandon Aiyuk

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images Walking through the scenarios that would lead the Niners to moving on from their star receiver makes sense, but it’s a difficult decision. It’ll be another fascinating offseason surrounding the San Francisco 49ers. They have 18 unrestricted free agents, a handful of extension candidates, and a few more players who could be cap casualties. Extending Brandon Aiyuk is at the top of the list. He’s the best receiver on the team and, volume aside, one of the five to seven best wideouts in the NFL. Players at Aiyuk’s position in recent history have asked for a trade after they couldn’t reach an agreement with their teams at the time. Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and A.J. Brown were all moved. Aiyuk is fresh off a career season where he came close to 1,400 yards receiving despite playing in a star-studded offense where he wasn’t the “primary” target like most wideouts who accomplish that many yards are. It would be pure speculation to project Aiyuk’s contract. We don’t know how the 49ers value him in relation to the wide receiver market and his production. A team-friendly deal feels out of the question, but making him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL isn’t a feasible option. What may surprise most is that extending Aiyuk this offseason will help the 49ers’ salary cap situation in the immediate future. According to Over the Cap, the Niners would save $10.39 million in 2024 by extending Aiyuk. So, in theory, extending Aiyuk could allow you to re-sign a couple of your in-house free agents or go outside of the building and plug a hole at cornerback or offensive line. It’s a tricky spot, as the 49ers have historically made their lucrative extensions cheaper in earlier years and “kicked the can down the road” to make that player affordable. An Aiyuk extension may be cheap in 2024, but if Brock Purdy has another year as he did in 2023, an inevitable contract extension is waiting in the wings next offseason. There are numerous ways for the 49ers to create and save money this offseason, and we’ll get into those this week. Let’s stick with Aiyuk for now. ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes the “most likely” outcome is that he’s dealt: The Aiyuk trade scenario: Now, if the 49ers can’t reach an agreement with Aiyuk on an extension and end up having to trade him, they would save the full $14.124 million of his 2024 salary. In our ongoing example, that would put them nearly $58 million under the cap and likely arm them with an additional high draft pick (maybe even a first- or second-rounder) from such a trade. Aiyuk would surely be missed, but with all of the massive cap numbers the Niners are projecting for their veterans in 2024 and in future years, at some point they’re going to need to move on from some of their stars. If they can get a first-rounder back in an Aiyuk trade and use it to replace him at wide receiver, that might actually be the best way to go. The last time the 49ers traded their upcoming star player in exchange for a 1st round pick, his replacement failed to live up to expectations, and it took a couple of seasons to wind up paying that position. At some point, you’re going to have to pay a receiver. But help along the offensive line — at multiple spots — and at cornerback, perhaps safety, and linebacker all must be addressed. That’s why Graziano believes Aiyuk is a goner: The most likely outcome: To me, the most likely way this shakes out is Aiyuk ends up getting traded to a team where he’s the clear No. 1 wideout and where he can get the extension he wants, leaving the Niners to draft his replacement in the first round. That’s the cleanest way for them to address all of their other needs. I see San Francisco extending Hufanga and coming to some sort of arrangements with Juszczyk and Greenlaw that keep them both around. That leaves the Niners to run it back with the same basic core, some upgrades in key spots and Aiyuk cheering them on from afar. It’s a brutal business. You develop a player into the exact mold you want. He does everything you ask, and in a way that forces him to drop his ego — knowing that there could have been 1,300-yard seasons before 2023. Yet, a trade might make the most sense when it's time to reward him. The 49ers are in an ideal draft position to select a receiver who could help right away, given the strength of the class. But Aiyuk is a unique talent who is just scratching the surface of his ceiling. It’s a decision I do not envy, but it doesn’t seem like a difficult choice. There’s an obvious rapport between Aiyuk and Purdy. Plus, there’s a lack of foresight when you think about the decisions that go into trading Aiyuk. The “core” of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and Kyle Juszczyk will all be free agents after the 2025 season. Not only that, but each of them will already be or entering their 30s. And that’s before you get into the lengthy injury history — something that doesn’t exist when discussing Aiyuk, who turns 26 in a month.

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49ers should be hoping for highest possible salary cap in 2024

The #49ers could get some offseason assistance from a higher-than-projected salary cap.

Kyle Madson
ninerswire.usatoday.com
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Cam Newton: ‘Bad coaching’, not Brock Purdy led to 49ers Super Bowl loss

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The ex-NFL star questioned Kyle Shanahan’s decision-making after the Super Bowl loss. The San Francisco 49ers lost a heartbreaker in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, sending them home without any hardware once again as they head into another crucial offseason. With the loss coming in overtime with the new rules, many questioned head coach Kyle Shanahan’s choice to receive the ball first, despite data showcasing that the win probabilities were near even when choosing to get the ball versus kicking first. One of those detractors was former NFL quarterback Cam Newton, who has been in the headlines for his comments about 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and his “game-manager” skills. However, on his 4th & 1 podcast, Newton came to Purdy’s defense for his Super Bowl performance, instead placing blame on Shanahan and the coaching staff for their choice to receive. “First off, let’s say this. Brock Purdy did not have a bad game,” Newton said. “To that point, field goal versus touchdown, that’s not Brock Purdy. Why the f--- did they receive the ball first? It was Tony Romo who mentioned this — when you know what you have to get, now you have four downs to get it, not three.” "It's not Brock Purdy's fault. He played well enough for his team to win."@CameronNewton thinks the 49ers coaching staff let them down, not Purdy. pic.twitter.com/dQrspNrjVD— 4thand1show (@4thand1show) February 16, 2024 Newton pointed out two issues: the 49ers not going for a touchdown and the players being unaware of the rules as key reasons why the coaching staff deserved the blame for the loss. “The 49ers, they were just trying to get points,” Newton said. “And that is not Brock Purdy’s fault, that’s bad coaching. There was too many people who was exposed. They didn’t know the real rules of overtime.” “We’re not understanding how serious this is. The fact that they weren’t addressed to what the rules were, that’s Steve Wilks, that’s Shanahan, that’s John Lynch, that’s the 49ers organization, and that’s not Brock Purdy’s fault. He played good enough for his team to win. He made plays and he made plays in times of need as well.” Now, as I shared before, I don’t think the decision to receive was a bad one. The 49ers defense was tired and it wouldn’t have been the best decision to put that unit back out on the field for another possession. However, my main gripe comes with the decision-making that came after the option to receive. Shanahan chose to receive in the case that the 49ers would get the first chance in sudden death after the first two possessions. But, in utilizing that reasoning, he didn’t think like Andy Reid would, as the Chiefs were never giving the ball back to the offense, but rather keeping it in Patrick Mahomes’s hands for the game. If the 49ers didn’t score, Kansas City was going for a field goal. If the 49ers scored three, the Chiefs were going for seven. And if San Francisco had managed to get a touchdown, it was going to be a try for the two-point conversion from Kansas City for the win. Now, the biggest issue was the lack of seven points when opportunities were there offensively, which San Francisco needed on that first overtime drive. Maybe next time, we see a different level of aggressiveness from Kyle Shanahan in pushing for that touchdown.

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Analytics show where 49ers should have kicked off in Super Bowl overtime

The analytics on kicking or receiving the overtime kick in the playoffs (Kyle Shanahan wasn’t wrong to receive… but he also wasn’t right?):

Kyle Madson
ninerswire.usatoday.com
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49ers unlikely to use franchise tag again in 2024

Don’t expect the #49ers to use the franchise tag in 2024.

Kyle Madson
ninerswire.usatoday.com
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Data says 2023 Cheifs the luckiest team of 80 playoff teams since 2018

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images This doesn’t make me feel any better. I will never be a good time to try and make us feel better about that Super Bowl loss, but I know it’s helping many of you by saying the Chiefs got “lucky.” Now look, saying a team got lucky rather than “was better” is poor form. Almost as bad as “You didn’t beat them, they beat themselves.” Except, there might be some truth to that. The Athletic’s David Lombardi got some data on teams in the playoffs since 2018 from Tom Bliss who finds all sorts of weird stats. Bliss did a run on the 80 teams in the NFL playoffs from 2018, there’s 80 total...look who’s number 1: Let's shatter an incorrect narrative....There have been 80 playoff teams since 2018. In @DataWithBliss' data-driven measure of luck (fumble recoveries, opponents' drops/FGs), here are the "luck" ranks of those 80:2023 Chiefs: #12023 49ers: #69Aiyuk's NFCCG catch included— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) February 13, 2024 Considering the Chiefs recovered six of seven fumbles on the ground, I tend to agree luck was on their side, but that’s football and the 49ers still got beat. It doesn’t seem like officiating factors into the luck score, but even if it doesn’t, I can’t even customize my characters in a JRPG to have a luck stat that good. Saying the “Chiefs got lucky” is still a poor take, but there’s actually some factual evidence behind it if we look at the above. Basically the 2023 49ers, one of the unluckier teams in the last six years lost to the luckiest team in that time span. Notice how this starts in 2018. I’m curious if they go further back where the Seattle Seahawks rank on the list. The Chiefs played eerily similar to some of the weirdness we saw with those Seattle teams. Then again, Seattle won a Super Bowl in the last two decades and the 49ers haven’t. The 49ers had some jaw dropping games on offense and even on defense at times, but there wasn’t much luck on their side. Guess it’s better to be lucky than good.

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Onward, Forward: 49ers Roster reset and overview

Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images The state of the union ahead of San Francisco’s 2024 off-season campaign When friends and family offer the sympathetic phrases “there’s always next year” or “they’ll be back,” I often meet it with a head shake. The fact of the matter is it’s hard to lose a Super Bowl and rebound quickly. Outside of the Patriots’ three straight appearances from LII to LIV, there hasn’t been a Super Bowl loser that has made it back to the big game the following season since the early 90’s Bills, who strung together a historic four straight Super Bowl defeats. The grueling NFL schedule is unkind in general, and the pressures of postseason failure can weigh deeply on entire franchises the following season (see: Philadelphia 2023). But at some point, things fall back into order—the process of grief transitions to potential and, with it, the dreams of new triumphs. As Mike Shanahan put it - “You keep fighting. That’s f—ing life.” It can be tough to swallow, but the 49ers can absolutely be back in contention for the Lombardi next February. And at some point, that’s what the Faithful’s focus will shift to as well. This off-season will be full of soundbites explaining away the biggest loss in the Shanahan era and the weaknesses that impacted their ultimate demise. But it will also be for looking forward and making decisions on how to avenge the faults of this 2023 squad. How they improve will first rest on the configuration of the roster. Per OverTheCap, San Francisco is roughly $3.7 million dollars in the hole for 2024 (estimated cap between $240-245 million). Here is how their setup currently appears before undergoing the necessary changes in the coming months. The 49ers have about $275m in 2024 salary-cap liabilities over 45 contracted players. The cap is expected to be around $240-245m.How to close that gap? SF will carry over $38m from 2023, thanks to those big Week 1 restructures. That might leave 49ers a bit over the limit as…— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) February 13, 2024 QUARTERBACK 2024 Under Contract: Brock Purdy Free Agents: Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen Having your franchise quarterback in place for less than $1 million a year is incredibly advantageous in today’s NFL. The skyrocketing cost of an elite signal caller can put teams in a bind when trying to upgrade the talent across the rest of the roster. San Francisco is in great shape to make another aggressive push this off-season as the window of opportunity is tied to Purdy’s rookie contract. Darnold may find a better opportunity in free agency, so it would be great to see Allen back in the fold next August. RUNNING BACK 2024 Under Contract: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Kyle Juszczyk (FB) Free Agents: None This room is probably set. CMC is the highest-paid player at the position but was worth every dollar as he snatched the Offensive Player of the Year award. It does mean there isn’t room for the other running backs to make much money in this backfield. With Mitchell and Mason’s contracts expiring in 2025, don’t be surprised to see Shanahan and Lynch go back to the well with a day two or three pick that will run a low price tag for another few seasons. The 49ers have drafted some mid-round backs over the last few years that didn’t pan out, so ideally, they would set their sights on low-cost options in the free agent market instead if they want to bulk up the competition during training camp and preseason. WIDE RECEIVER 2024 Under Contract: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Danny Gray, Ronnie Bell Free Agents: Juaun Jennings (Restricted), Ray-Ray McLoud III, Chris Conley Brandon Aiyuk is entering the final season of his rookie contract after the 49ers smartly exercised the All-Pro’s fifth-year option ahead of 2023. After the performance Aiyuk put together this season, it’s easy to see why signing him to an extension will be a priority for the front office. An early estimate from Spottrac evaluates his market value to be around $22 million per year, which would be slightly less than Deebo Samuel's average but still a top-ten mark (current) at the position. Having those two players dominating their cap space may be consequential in the long run, but it’s hard to deny they’ve proven to be worth it. Jennings’ future with San Francisco is unclear right now. At only 27 years old (next season), Jennings should see plenty of interest in testing free agency following a strong Super Bowl performance. Like Kendrick Bourne a few seasons ago, the 49ers would love to hold onto Jennings, but the price tag may not be worth matching, and there would be some benefit to recouping the draft pick of the tender they placed on him. McLoud and Conley have played important roles on special teams all season but don’t move the needle in the passing game. Even if one or both are brought back on cheap, short-term deals, 49ers brass should spend draft capital on adding a dynamic pass catcher or two in order to bring more variation to the passing attack. TIGHT END 2024 Under Contract: George Kittle, Cameron Latu, Brayden Willis Free Agents: Ross Dwelley, Charlie Woerner The San Francisco front office likely had this off-season in mind when they took Latu and Willis in the third and seventh rounds, respectively, in last year’s draft. Dwelley and Woerner had never really brought much impact as secondary tight ends behind Kittle, and adding younger, cheaper options was a sound investment. Of course Latu tore his meniscus and had to miss all of his rookie season, and Willis only played sparingly and was mostly asked to block. Bringing back Dwelley or Woerner wouldn’t break the bank, and if Latu is too far behind where they need him to be following the injury, it could be worthwhile to resign a guy who already has played in the system. If not, hitting the draft again wouldn’t be the worst option. San Francisco has 11 picks, and with the lack of developmental reps for their 2023 rookies, their long-term replacement for Kittle (who turns 31 and carries a hefty cap hit) could be available this April. OFFENSIVE LINE 2024 Under Contract: Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Colton McKivitz, Spencer Burford, Jaylon Moore, Nick Zakelj Free Agents: Jon Feliciano, Matt Pryor, Ben Bartch Trent Williams is on board for year 14 with his sights set on breaking the pro-bowl record for offensive tackles. Having a future hall-of-famer protecting your quarterback’s blindside remains a blessing, but it would be ignorant to say his presence absolves the front office of their mistakes in building out the rest of the offensive line. Even though all five starters coming into 2023 are on the books for 2024, there has to be a major focus to improve upfront. Feliciano played well after taking over the right guard job after the bye week, but it isn’t a necessity for the Niners to bring him back. He did provide the necessary depth along the interior and took snaps at all three inside spots this season. But counting on the 32-year-old journeyman to be an above-average starter for a full season slate isn’t reasonable. Like many of the other position groups, the cap hit is tied to one major contract (Williams), but that doesn’t mean the limited financial resources should prevent the front office from dipping into the free agency pool if a premiere starter (especially on the right side of the line) becomes available. It isn’t hyperbole to say that most 49ers fans would prefer to see spending at this position rather than any other roster spot this off-season. From starters to depth, it should be a major overhaul heading into 2024. That includes the draft, where early rankings show a class teeming with first-round talent at offensive tackle, guard, and center. DEFENSIVE LINE 2024 Under Contract: Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Drake Jackson, Kalia Davis, Robert Beal Jr. Free Agents: Clelin Ferrell, Randy Gregory, Chase Young, Javon Kinlaw, Kevin Givens, Sebastian Joseph-Day San Francisco has invested heavily in fielding a dominant front four. But the lack of production from this unit for the majority of the season and playoffs is enough of a concern that more resources (and a new defensive scheme) will have to be utilized on rounding out this unit. Even if the 49ers wanted to bring back their SB starting group, which would include Chase Young, it would be incredibly difficult considering the amount they are already spending on the other three first-team guys. Armstead, Bosa, and Hargrave are making up a little over 20% of the team’s cap space in 2024, and that number will boost even higher a year later with Bosa’s back-loaded contract (although Armstead will be a free agent). Kinlaw enjoyed the healthiest season of his career but hasn’t lived up to the expectations of a first-round pick. Having him back in the mix as an improving backup isn’t out of the realm of possibilities if both sides agree to a cheap, short-term “prove-it” kind of deal that allows him another shot at a full off-season of development with a clean bill of health. There was plenty of excitement surrounding Jackson at the start of the season, but, similarly to Spencer Burford, things cooled off quickly, and the inconsistent play was not going to cut it for a team looking to contend immediately. Perhaps with another year under his belt, Jackson can become that missing impact edge opposite Bosa, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team chose to attack the draft for one of the top pass rushers either. #49ers top 10 cap hits in 2024 (via @spotrac)1. Williams $31.5 mill2. Deebo $28.6 mill3. Armstead $28.3 mill4. Warner: $24.4 mill5. Kittle: $21.9 mill6. Ward: $17.9 mill7. Hargrave: $15.4 mill8. Bosa: $14.6 mill ($42 mill by 2026)9. CMC $14.1 mill10. Aiyuk $14.1 mill— Al Sacco (@AlSacco49) February 13, 2024 LINEBACKERS 2024 Under Contract: Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Jalen Graham Free Agents: Oren Burks, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles The Achilles injury to Greenlaw dampers the linebacker situation severely entering 2024. His absence in the Super Bowl was an immediate turning point for the game, and San Francisco didn’t have the answers to replace his energy, tenacity, and ability. It isn’t a certainty, but Greenlaw may miss the beginning of next season. Burks and Flannigan-Fowles were the replacements against Kansas City, but neither is a lock to be on the roster to take those reps in 2024. Winters and Graham were late-round picks a year ago, and it would be a long shot to assume they develop into what the Niners will need with Greenlaw out. Add linebacker to the list of potential positions that San Francisco might target in April’s draft. DEFENSIVE BACKS 2024 Under Contract: Deommodore Lenoir, Charvarius Ward, Ambry Thomas, Isaiah Oliver, Darrell Luter Jr, Samuel Womack, Ji’Ayir Brown, Talanoa Hufanga, George Odum Free Agents: Tashaun Gipson Sr, Logan Ryan Gipson hasn’t made a decision about his playing status next season but nearly chose retirement last off-season. Even though his veteran presence would be missed, San Francisco is probably in good shape to run it back with this group in 2024. Ji’Ayir Brown made some rookie mistakes but also came up with some big plays in his expanded role after Hufanga’s injury. Watching those two young safeties grow together over the next few seasons will be a lot of fun. Depth will be important. The cornerback room is a little shakier, with no real answers outside of the top two. Ward is a free agent in 2025 but has outplayed his current contract. Lenoir has evolved into a confident playmaker on the outside or in the slot and has solidified his role as CB2 on this defense. But if Lenoir is asked to play the nickel again next year, that spot opposite Ward becomes worrisome. Ambry Thomas took most of those reps down the stretch and got exposed quite often, especially in the playoffs. If the new DC decides Lenoir is better suited to stay outside, the nickel position becomes an immediate area of need. Oliver and Ryan were not up to snuff, and neither returning (i.e., Oliver getting released) is probably the best route for the Niners to take.

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Report: Raiders expected to release former 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo

After being suspended for two games for violating the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Substances policy, the former 49ers passer is reportedly set to be released by the Raiders.

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4 potential cut candidates for the 49ers this offseason

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports The 49ers could have some tough decisions on their hands this offseason. The San Francisco 49ers are heading into offseason mode, having recently lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, meaning it's time to start breaking down the roster for the upcoming season. With free agency coming up next month, one way the 49ers could look to free up money is by cutting players as cap casualties, and there are four realistic candidates that could get cut this offseason. Here are my four potential cut candidates for the 49ers. FB Kyle Juszczyk At the top of the list, we’ll go with the boldest option: fullback Kyle Juzczyk, who has been with the 49ers for the entire Kyle Shanahan era. Juzczyk will be entering Year 4 of his five-year, $27 million extension signed back in March of 2021, and has a cap hit of $7.588 million this offseason. However, the fullback’s contract was structured to have an out after the first three years, as that’s where all the guaranteed money was allocated. Now, the 49ers could move off Juszczyk and save $4.91 million in cap space, which could be crucial for other moves in free agency. Facing crucial salary-cap decisions this offseason, as the 49ers will have some needs in free agency, while also needing to account for extra money via the draft with their first and second-round pick, saving the five million would be a realistic choice for San Francisco. I don’t believe Juszczyk will return to the 49ers on his current contract, but that doesn’t mean a return will be ruled out. With his affinity for the organization, as well as the continued lack of fullback usage across the NFL, Juszczyk could go for a cheaper deal with the 49ers entering his age-33 season, keeping him in San Francisco at a more reasonable rate. But, shouldering a $7.588 million cap hit for a fullback when it’s easy to move off that deal seems like the ideal move. CB Isaiah Oliver This move seems more like a formality. It was heavily implied that cornerback Isaiah Oliver was a Steve Wilks suggestion when the 49ers signed him last offseason, and the move turned out to be disappointing, as the veteran was benched for Ambry Thomas and couldn’t carve out a major role on the team. Additionally, Wilks has now been fired, making it even more likely that Oliver will hit free agency this offseason. Oliver was signed to a two-year, $6.75 million deal last offseason, but the move was essentially a one-year deal, as all the $2.91 million in guaranteed money was distributed in Year 1. Now, Oliver faces a cap hit of $3.866 million, but the 49ers can save $2.4 million by releasing him, generating some extra cash for their offseason plans. C Jake Brendel After earning a starting spot in 2022, the 49ers re-signed Jake Brendel to a four-year, $20 million deal last offseason. So, why is he on a “potential cut candidates” list one year later? Well, I wasn’t a big advocate for Brendel last offseason, as there were several starting-caliber center options that were better for the 49ers in the $5-6 million range annually. Unfortunately, a majority of those options returned to their respective teams, leaving San Francisco empty-handed, leading them to retain Brendel. One offseason later, the 49ers find themselves in a similar situation, as there are a plethora of centers available on the market, and San Francisco needs to upgrade, making Brendel expendable. While it was a four-year contract, the 49ers guaranteed only $4.49 million at signing, which was distributed in the first year of the deal, making it possible to move off him this offseason. Now, this may be a possible post-June 1st move, as the 49ers would save $3.48 million, while only incurring a $682,000 dead cap hit in 2024 and a $2.046 million dead cap hit in 2025. This move is far from a guarantee, as the 49ers don’t have an option-in-waiting to replace Brendel, but is certainly possible with a robust center market available, which the 49ers should look into. Colton McKivitz Like Brendel, the 49ers handed out a contract to Colton McKivitz last offseason, settling him in for two years and $4.56 million ahead of his first year as a starter. Well, McKivitz looked as you’d expect him to look; serviceable, but not a starting-caliber player, and the 49ers should explore all avenues to get a better option this offseason. Now, McKivitz only had $1.87 million in total guarantees on his deal, making him potentially expendable this offseason. If the 49ers move on, they’d only incur a dead cap hit of $584,000, while saving $1.934 million in a cost-cutting move. However, swing tackles are hard to find in the NFL, and I could see the 49ers placing McKivitz in that role in 2024 at a cheaper cost, keeping him for the final year of his current contract. If they do prefer another option though, McKivitz could be a cap casualty as well.

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Why firing Steve Wilks was the right move for the 49ers

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports The 49ers needed to make a change at defensive coordinator and made the right choice. The San Francisco 49ers made a significant change on Wednesday as head coach Kyle Shanahan relieved defensive coordinator Steve Wilks of his duties, meaning the 49ers will be looking for their fourth different candidate in five years as they conduct a search this offseason. Wilks, a two-time head coach, including serving as the interim head coach with the Carolina Panthers in 2022, came to the 49ers as a respected leader with significant experience as a defensive coordinator, but ultimately became a poor choice for Shanahan and the 49ers, who are moving on after one year. Was firing Steve Wilks the right choice for the 49ers? The timing is certainly interesting, as Wilks was coming off a Super Bowl performance where his defense had their best outing in the playoffs, effectively shutting down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for a good portion of the game. However, Wilks was overruled in the final minutes of the game when head coach Kyle Shanahan called a timeout on defense after seeing a look, raising questions about the disconnect in philosophy that had been brewing over the course of the season. Now, the 49ers' defense wasn’t bad by any means in 2023, but it’s safe to say they experienced some regression, despite courting their entire core of elite players. On the season, they dropped from the league’s best defense in terms of yards allowed in 2022 to the eight-best in 2023. Looking at the expected points added (EPA) per play, the 49ers, who were first in 2022, also faced a drop, going to No. 12 this season. More importantly, Wilks’s unit couldn’t get off the field, ranking 24th in third down conversion rate allowed, which was an issue that popped up in the Super Bowl over Kansas City’s final three drives, where the Chiefs converted on five of their seven chances. However, this move stems far beyond the numbers and the Super Bowl performance over the first 3.5 quarters. There was a clear disconnect between Wilks and his players, as well as between him and Shanahan. The first clear sign came when Shanahan publicly outed Wilks for his inexcusable Cover-0 call against the Minnesota Vikings which ultimately was an influential mistake in that game. Later on, amid struggles at the bye week, Wilks was asked to leave the booth to coach from the sidelines, despite expressing a preference for working from upstairs when he was hired. Then, from Weeks 13-17, the defense really began to take some steps in the wrong direction, ranking 23rd in EPA/play, while the team’s run defense ranked 26th in EPA/play. The struggles were amplified in the playoffs, as the 49ers got off to slow starts in both of their first two games before making the necessary adjustments in comeback victories over the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Now, there was still a good amount of progress with Wilks’s unit, as the 49ers were a top-five unit in takeaways per game, while players like Deommodore Lenoir, Ambry Thomas, and Ji’Ayir Brown took steps forward to becoming key pieces on the defense. But, at the end of the day, there was too much of a disconnect between the front seven and the secondary that led to too many issues for such a talented unit. Even if the 49ers had won the Super Bowl, it felt that a Wilks firing was inevitable, as San Francisco has been an organization that has cut their losses at the right moment, rather than delaying those issues. This wasn’t a decision that was made to call out a scapegoat; instead, this was a move that had been brewing over the entire second half of the season, and ultimately the way San Francisco had to go for better results in 2024. Overall, this is a move that still reflects on Kyle Shanahan, who tasked the wrong man for the job, especially when considering the 49ers’ desired scheme and the style that Wilks has been accustomed to at his previous stops. Now, after it felt that Shanahan had to take a more hands-on approach this season on the defensive end, he’ll hope to erase those issues by nailing his next hire at defensive coordinator.

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49ers begin offseason coach hirings by adding assistant OL coach

49ers hire new assistant OL coach after James Cregg’s departure.

Kyle Madson
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49ers Sign DL Earnest Brown IV and DL Raymond Johnson III

The San Francisco 49ers added depth to the defensive line after signing two free agents.

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49ers sign 2 free agents to one-year deals

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images A pair of defensive lineman will join the Niners The San Francisco 49ers announced they’ve signed defensive tackles Earnest Brown IV and Raymond Johnson III to one-year deals. Brown IV was drafted in the fifth round in 2021 by the Los Angeles Rams. He started three games in three years. In 2023, Brown appeared in seven games, where he recorded five tackles. Johnson III was an undrafted free agent in 2021. He spent his rookie year with the New York Giants. After being released after one season, Johnson III was signed to the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad just before the start of the 2022 regular season. He lasted a year before being released prior to the start of the 2023 regular season. Johnson III spent this past season on the Detroit Lions practice squad. In three seasons, he’s appeared in 15 games. Here’s the list of every free agent the 49ers have signed this week: DL Raymond Johnson III DL Earnest Brown IV DL Alex Barrett DL Austin Bryant OL Corey Luciano DL T.Y. McGill OL Sebastian Gutierrez DB Kemon Hall S Erik Harris S Tayler Hawkins WR Tay Martin DL Sam Okuayinonu LB Curtis Robinson TE Jake Tonges DL Spencer Waege Johnson and Brown were the first signees outside of the building, as every other player finished the season or were on the 49ers practice squad at some point this past year.

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49ers GM John Lynch breaks down process of extending Brandon Aiyuk

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports The 49ers general manager broke down the details of extending Brandon Aiyuk and managing the cap. The San Francisco 49ers held their end-of-season press conferences earlier this week, where head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch answered questions for the final time this season. Among the relevant topics was the potential impending extension of emerging wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who had a 75-catch, 1,342-yard season for the 49ers this season as one of the top deep threats in the NFL. As the offseason has begun, Aiyuk and those around him have posted some cryptic messages on social media, while the wideout said that an extension would come if he believed “it was the right move”. Lynch delved into the extension talks, calling Aiyuk a priority, while looking at the grand scheme of the 49ers process. “You have to prioritize all these things,” Lynch said Tuesday. “You know Brandon’s entering his fifth-year option, Brandon’s been a fantastic player for us. [Head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] calls him a warrior all the time because of how he goes out and competes. And that shines through to anybody, whether you’re a trained eye or you’re a fan, you can see the passion he plays with, you can see the production that he’s had. We’re extremely prideful in what he’s become, and he should be as well.” While Aiyuk was a key member of the 49ers organization this season, breaking out as the team’s top receiving threat, San Francisco has a number of veterans making top-of-the-market money, clouding up the situation a bit. Lynch acknowledged the 49ers’ payroll, but shared that he and Shanahan have developed a cadence over the years of dealing with such extensions, while praising Aiyuk for being an important part of the team’s core. “And so your team is comprised of veterans who’ve been paid very well, of guys who want to be paid very well,” Lynch said about the 49ers. “We’ve got one guy on our team who’s pretty prominent who can’t be paid real well right now because the CBA doesn’t allow, so it’s all one big puzzle.” “We’ve developed a cadence over the years, Kyle and I, where he focuses on the season, we do all the planning, and then we present things to him and we work through it, and that’s what we’ll continue to do. But of course, you want a guy like Brandon Aiyuk to be a part of you going forward.” Of course, the 49ers went through a difficult situation with wideout Deebo Samuel two offseasons ago that went into training camp before the two sides agreed to a deal. Samuel ultimately came into camp out of shape and didn’t perform up to standards in 2022 before returning to be a key cog this past season. Can the 49ers avoid that type of situation with Aiyuk, who will likely garner top-of-the-market money?

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Will the 49ers make a splash trade this offseason?

Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images At the cost of mortgaging their future? From top to bottom, the San Francisco 49ers have the best overall roster in the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs found a way to avoid Charvarius Ward, as he was not targeted once in the playoffs. Deommodore Lenoir and Logan Ryan combined for 14 targets, each allowing over seven yards per reception, a few critical first downs, and a touchdown. Steve Wilks did not trust his cornerbacks to cover, so we saw soft zones toward the end of the fourth quarter. Neither Lenoir nor Ryan could run with the Chiefs wide receivers, which was evident. Lenoir’s future is at Nickel, while Ryan was more of a stopgap as San Francisco didn’t have confidence in Ambry Thomas, either. In an ideal world, Ward would have followed Rashee Rice or Travis Kelce every play, and the Niners would have made somebody else beat them. In a way, somebody else did beat them, but it wasn’t because Mooney was shadowing a top receiver. The front office has a philosophy: invest in the defensive line to protect the secondary. The 49ers pressured Patrick Mahomes on 43.6 percent of his dropbacks. And when they did blitz Mahomes, he was 6-for-6 for 50 yards and four first downs. If you’re not using Mahomes as the bar — he’s one of the sole reasons Kyle Shanahan is ringless — what are we doing? Knowing it’ll take more than pressure, it’s time for the 49ers to take another swing, this time in the secondary. Bleacher Report proposed the Niners make a trade for Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain, who was robbed of a spot on the All-Pro team this season because voters fell in love with the player who had a ton of interceptions, ignoring what happens on a down-to-down basis. Surtain was targeted more than DaRon Bland and Mooney, yet gave up fewer yards. He also had more than double the pass breakups as Bland. If you were to ask ten offensive coordinators who you would rather target, it’d be closer to unanimous than 50/50, with the answer being Bland. Surtain enters the final year of his rookie contract with the Broncos. If you want him, you’ll need to give up premium draft capital and then be prepared to pay him. He’s 24 and already among the best, if not the best, cornerbacks in the NFL. He’d allow whoever the Niners hire as defensive coordinator to be as aggressive as they want. Here’s the proposed trade from Bleacher Report: San Francisco 49ers receive: CB Patrick Surtain II Denver Broncos receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 31 overall), 2024 second-round pick (No. 63 overall), 2024 third-round pick (No. 94 overall) The Niners could shore up a weak spot on their roster and set themselves up for sustained success by acquiring cornerback Patrick Surtain II. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, they tried to swing a deal with the Denver Broncos that would have sent Surtain to the Bay Area at this year’s trade deadline but ultimately declined due to a high asking price. While the Broncos would presumably like to keep Surtain around for years to come, they’re facing major financial ramifications from Russell Wilson’s contract and have been reeling from the loss of draft capital in that trade. Getting a plethora of picks in addition to cap relief—Surtain is eligible for a massive extension this offseason—could potentially sway the Broncos into making a move. I wonder if the 49ers would be willing to add in a player, no, not Brandon Aiyuk, but another player already on a big contract — perhaps the other starting receiver — instead of throwing in a second-round pick to get the Broncos to agree. Using your top three draft picks on Surtain may be a bit too rich. The 49ers need to use one of their early picks on a right guard or tackle — maybe two of those picks. The front office must ask themselves, can we go another season with a Day 3 pick starting at cornerback, right guard, and right tackle? Eventually, in the season's biggest moments, that player will go against a top-level wideout or a Chris Jones. Or, will there be a rookie available whom Shanahan trusts enough to start? There’s always free agency; I’d expect one of those three positions to be addressed there. But a player of Surtain's caliber isn’t available often. The question for him is, how much is too much? And is the perceived risk worth the reward?

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3 Surprising moves the 49ers could make this offseason

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images A trade? Hiring a former head coach? Or ignoring one of the most important positions on the team? Following the 49ers exit press conference, the team scheduled a surprise conference call with head coach Kyle Shanahan yesterday. The circumstances around the call led to speculation that a big announcement was on the way. It turned out to be accurate as the 49ers head coach announced the team would be parting ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Yesterday’s events kicked off an offseason with decisions, evaluations, and questions for the 49ers. Wilks’ departure was a huge surprise, but the 49ers always have surprises in store, especially during the offseason. Here are three possible surprising moves for the 49ers in the offseason: Trading Brandon Aiyuk First of all, I wouldn’t do this. The 49ers were in a similar situation with DeForest Buckner following the 2019 season and got the number nine overall pick in return from the Indianapolis Colts. Regardless of what Aiyuk’s close family and friends convey on social media, the 49ers have a bit of control over Aiyuk’s fifth year. Trading Aiyuk would be a surprise. If a team offered a middle pick in the first round and a high-end second-rounder, you’d have to imagine the 49ers would at least listen to the offer. Still, the 49ers have maintained that resigning Aiyuk is a priority for them, and despite their projected cap number for 2024, the 49ers can lower their cap number with an Aiyuk extension. I reiterate that I don’t believe this happens. Mike Vrabel or Bill Belichick become the 49ers’ DC The 49ers defense down the stretch failed to live up to their expectations. Wilks’ departure isn’t a matter of being “scapegoated.” The fit between Wilks and Shanahan had obvious issues all season. Yesterday’s announcement felt like a foregone conclusion. Shanahan spoke about the fit and how it changed the way the 49ers linebackers played. Speaking of linebackers, Mike Vrabel is available following his departure from Tennessee. Vrabel feels like a bit of a longshot, but the 49ers would be wise to check in on the former Titans coach with the example of how the defense performed under former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans. The longest shot would be Bill Belichick taking a role under Shanahan or any other head coach. I’m not certain the building could take both coaches in the same space, but fans can dream, right? Shanahan stated the team would look at coaches with the same defensive scheme the team wants to implement and coaches with different philosophies. Whoever the replacement is will have a great canvas to begin with, as well as pressure to return the defense to the elite status of years past. The 49ers don’t address the offensive line in the NFL draft The 49ers are back picking in the first round. Following the end of the Super Bowl and the concerns with the offensive line, particularly the right side, it would be an outright shock if the 49ers didn’t draft one or several offensive linemen. With a back-end first-rounder, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers push for a lineman available or use the best player available strategy and wait to address the line further down the line. One thing is for sure, the 49ers need to add linemen in the draft but can’t force a player with their draft picks. If the 49ers decide to add linemen in free agency or stand pat with their current depth chart, that will be the most shocking move. What do you think? Which of these three scenarios would be the most surprising?

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Kyle Shanahan on the 49ers: ‘We had so many guys who were playing for stuff above themselves’

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images Shanahan and John Lynch believe now is the time to grieve, and believe it’s necessary. Football is a game filled with emotion. Players and coaches pour so much into it that it’s a surprise we don’t see more outbursts during postgame interviews. When you put a microphone in somebody's face after 60 minutes, they’re bound to erupt. The fact that players remain measured is a testament to their professionalism. There’s nothing that tops losing the Super Bowl. Kyle Shanahan has been on the wrong end twice as a head coach. If you have an ounce of compassion, you feel for him and the San Francisco 49ers. This past Sunday was a gut-wrenching loss. The Niners were the better team but failed to execute in high-leverage situations. General manger John Lynch said the hardest part was watching the players, coaches, and families hurt: “People forget the sacrifice that families make in an effort to go compete at the highest level. And it’s exactly what we had an opportunity to do. That’s exactly the stage that we put ourselves on. I couldn’t be more proud of our organization, of our players, of our coaches, of our staff, because we put out an outstanding effort. And ultimately we’re going to have to live with for a lifetime the reality that we didn’t get it done this time. But I say this time because that’s this time. It hurts. And right now everyone’s grieving. It’s not just going be okay right away, but you understand that the only thing you can do is use this fuel to propel us forward. And that’s where our mindsets are at or at least where they will arrive at some point. Right now, there’s a lot of people who are hurt because we poured it out there and it wasn’t quite enough.” For the next half year, we’ll play the hindsight game and ask what the team could have done differently on both sides. One thing the team must do before that is step away. Get away from the game they love. Shanahan mentioned a couple of times earlier in the week why it’s important to do so and the challenges of getting back to this point next year: “You’ve always got to do it again. Start it over. But we had a real good team. I felt similar almost every year. ‘19 was a pretty special year, just how we played throughout that whole year. Similar in the way that I thought one of the hardest things after the game was just watching how much everyone hurt for each other. Guys are hurt for me. I hurt for them. You see your families, you see how much they hurt for you and stuff. I think that’s what was real special about this group. Like, we had so many guys who were playing for stuff above themselves. Not to mention how talented our guys were. So I think that’s what I’m going to miss the most about it. I think that’s what our guys enjoyed the most about this year. I think they would echo that same thing. That’s not something you can just make up, but that was pretty special. I think you’ve heard our guys talk about it a little bit. But, I also know a lot of those special guys are going to be here next year. You don’t just pick up right where you left off, you’ve got to go through some stuff. You’ve got to go through an offseason together. We’ve got to grieve this a little bit and then come back stronger from it. But can’t wait until we get to, what I told all the guys, I know I’m going to see everyone at volunteer phase one just pumped up, ready to go. So we’ll see them then.” The next time the team comes together, it’ll be for a new defensive coordinator. Until then, Shanahan wants his team to embrace the pain they’re feeling.

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Golden Nuggets: Travis Kelce is still talking about the 49ers overtime decision

Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images Your daily San Francisco 49ers links for Thursday, February 15, 2024 We’re officially in the offseason, but things never slow down with this team. Shanahan, 49ers part ways with DC Wilks after first season “Yeah, that was the hardest part,” Shanahan said. “I knew that was the challenge. “We committed to not only the system but the players within the system, the D-line, the linebackers. They’d played in it for such a long time. It was my goal to not have to change all of them.” Wilks appeared to work well with the team’s defensive backs but things were not as smooth when putting together his weekly plans for the 49ers’ front seven. Shanahan said he will look internally at his own staff to consider candidates, as well as outside the organization for coaches experienced in running the same system. Among the 49ers’ defensive coaches who could be considered for the promotion are defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, linebackers coach Johnny Holland, defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks and defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen. Travis Kelce Didn’t Hold Back on 49ers Over Stunning OT Coin Flip Decision “You win the coin toss, that’s what you get, you get the opportunity to have the advantage, and they handed it right over to us,” Kelce said in Wednesday’s episode of the podcast. “Not trying to harp on the guy, but … like, they said they wanted to receive, and the ref looked at Fred [Warner] and said, ‘Are you sure? Are you sure you want to receive?’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’” 49ers lineman says Eagles’ Jalen Carter issued death threat taunt Carter then joined the fray, accusing Felicano in an Instagram Story of trash-talking him about the January 2023 car crash that led to the death of one of his former Georgia teammates and a staffer. (Carter, the No. 9 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, pleaded no contest on charges of reckless driving and was given a year of probation, a $1000 fine and 80 hours of community service.) Feliciano responded, accusing Carter of issuing him death threats during the teams’ Week 13 meeting. Shanahan denies 49ers are unable to win big games after latest Super Bowl loss “These two Super Bowls have been tough, losing to Kansas City … You guys can have any narrative you want. The success or the failure comes down to one game,” he said. “I hope that I can be a part of a team that wins the game at the end of the year. But to say the Niners can’t win a big game would be an extremely inaccurate statement.” Elway on Super Bowl Presentation: ‘Rather Have Given It to 49ers “I didn’t think about being in the Raiders home field, but you know I was giving it to the Chiefs,” he told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday, via DenverSports.com. “I was really hoping for, obviously good friends with Johnny Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. The Chiefs played great. Especially that second half. I’d much rather have given it to the 49ers, but you know the Chiefs played great.” Around the NFL One dead, nine injured in shooting at Chiefs’ victory parade One person was killed and nine were injured after shots were fired at the end of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade Wednesday, Kansas City fire department officials said. According to ABC News, citing the officials, three of the injured are in critical condition and five are in serious condition. Police said in a news release that two people were detained. Fans were urged to exit the area as quickly as possible. Top NFL Execs Reportedly Furious at Disney, Fox and WBD About ‘Being Left in the Dark’ About New Joint Streaming Top NFL executives, including commissioner Roger Goodell and chief business officer Brian Rolapp, are reportedly furious about only finding out at the last minute about the new sports streaming joint venture being launched by The Walt Disney Co., Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery. How mad are they? According to sports business news guru John Ourand, now with Puck, they had their lawyers look at the league’s TV contracts with ESPN and Fox to see if there was any way they could stop the JV. (They haven’t found any useful legal language yet that would let them do that.) ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro is said to have briefed Goodell and Rolapp only hours before the new virtual MVPD service was announced to the public last week. The NFL executives are described by Ourand as feeling “blindsided” and “left in the dark.” Top 25 NFL free agents include Kirk Cousins 15. New York Jets EDGE Bryce Huff Huff hasn’t started a game in either of the past two seasons and had just 7.5 sacks through his first three NFL seasons. The former undrafted free agent had a big breakout in 2023 however, with 10 sacks. He doesn’t turn 26 years old until April. His pass-rush win rate, via PFF, was third in the NFL behind Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons, and ahead of Nick Bosa and Aidan Hutchinson. That’s the kind of season that can lead to a monster contract, even with the risk that comes with just one breakout season.

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7 candidates who could replace Steve Wilks as the 49ers DC

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Let’s break down some in-house and outside candidates for the 49ers defensive coordinator vacancy The San Francisco 49ers moved swiftly to address their defensive coordinator position, as head coach Kyle Shanahan relieved Steve Wilks of his duties, he announced on Wednesday. It had been an up-and-down year with Wilks at the helm, as the 49ers defense had struggled at times, especially late in the season before performing well in the Super Bowl. In justifying his decision, Shanahan pointed out the struggles with how Wilks utilized the front seven, which led to an inconsistent run defense and an apparent disconnect between the head coach and the coordinator. “It has to do with the way we play linebacker and stuff like that—the way Fred and Dre have done it over the years. You want to tie things together. Just with his background, it was harder than it needed to be,” Shanahan said. Now, the 49ers are searching for their third defensive coordinator in three years as they look to gain more consistency on that side of the ball. Who are some of the top candidates that could earn an interview for the job? Let’s explore both the in-house and external options. In-House Candidates Secondary coach Daniel Bullocks Pros: Bullocks was one of my top internal candidates from a season ago, but the 49ers ultimately elected to go with a proven option in Steve Wilks. Bullocks has been on the staff from Kyle Shanahan’s first season, starting as an assistant defensive backs coach (2017-18) before being elevated to the safeties coach (2019-22) and then now serving as the secondary coach (2023). He’s a young candidate (40 years old) and a former player with experience working under both DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh, who ran the preferred San Francisco defense. Cons: Like Wilks, Bullocks specializes in the secondary, and Shanahan may prefer a candidate who’s more in tune with the front seven after the struggles this season. More importantly, however, Bullocks doesn’t have any coordinator or play-calling experience, which may be important for Shanahan as this hire will be extremely important to nail after a miss with Wilks. Defensive passing game coordinator Nick Sorenson Pros: Sorenson is the lone candidate on the 49ers’ defensive staff with coordinator experience, albeit as a special teams coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars and as the passing game coordinator this season in San Francisco. He has experience with the Seattle defense that Robert Saleh originated from, working there from 2013-2015 after Saleh left for the Jaguars. Cons: Like Bullocks and Wilks, Sorenson’s specialty comes in the secondary, as he was a former safety himself, which may not be the most ideal situation again. Additionally, while Sorenson has coordinator experience, he hasn’t called defensive plays before, and has only been with the 49ers as an assistant for two years. Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek Pros: He’s arguably the most valuable assistant on the 49ers staff, having served as the team’s defensive line coach since 2019. He works exclusively with the front seven and has been highly regarded by Shanahan, as well as the rest of the NFL, coming from Jim Schwartz’s wide-nine scheme back when working with the Detroit Lions. Cons: Kocurek hasn’t shown interest in being a playcalling coordinator in the past, and that’ll be the requirement in San Francisco. While the 49ers may pay him like a coordinator to keep him in San Francisco, Kocurek doesn’t have playcalling experience either and seems content coaching the defensive line. External Candidates Former Titans HC Mike Vrabel Pros: Vrabel has the main aspect on his resume that the other coaches are lacking: experience. Not only has he played as a former defensive lineman, but Vrabel has exclusively worked with linebackers both at Ohio State and with the Houston Texans, and has coordinator experience at the latter stop. Vrabel has head coaching experience as well, which could be a complement for Shanahan. Cons: After looking for a head coaching opportunity this past cycle, would Vrabel accept a defensive coordinator job now or look to take a year off? Additionally, the main questions come with the potential power dynamic between him and Shanahan; how much control would Vrabel get in implementing his style versus working with the 49ers’ preferred system? Titans CBs coach and passing game coordinator Chris Harris Pros: Kyle Shanahan was interested in the defensive assistant last season, as Harris got an interview for the defensive coordinator position before the 49ers went with Wilks. He’s gained significant NFL traction as an up-and-coming NFL coach, having earned interviews for the Bears and Jaguars defensive coordinator positions this offseason as well. Cons: Like a number of the 49ers internal candidates, Harris has a secondary background, having been a former defensive back in the NFL. Additionally, while he is considered an up-and-coming coach, he does not have any coordinator experience. Georgia Co-Defensive Coordinator Glenn Schumann Pros: He’s an emerging, young coach (33 years old) who has already earned NFL coordinator interviews, but passed them up last offseason, earning a raise from Georgia. A former linebackers coach (2016-22 at Georgia), Schumann is my favorite candidate this cycle. He’s a Nick Saban disciple who also has worked under Kirby Smart at Georgia, and, most importantly, has coordinator experience this past season. He’d be a home-run hire if the 49ers manage to sway him from Georgia. Cons: Schumann is a young coach who has one year of coordinator experience under his belt and has also never worked in the NFL. He also never played college football, and Shanahan has shown a preference for coaches with playing experience in the past. Chiefs LBs coach Brendan Daly Pros: Daly has an impressive resume, having won six Super Bowls over his coaching career. A five-year assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs, Daly was the team’s defensive line coach and run-game coordinator from 2019-21 before becoming the linebackers coach from 2022 to the present day. Prior to working at Kansas City, Daly was with the New England Patriots from 2014-18 where he primary worked as the linebackers coach. He’s been under elite defensive coaches in Bill Belicheck and Steve Spagnulo, and could be primed for a bigger opportunity soon. Cons: Despite having an extensive coaching resume in the college and NFL ranks, Daly has never been a play-caller. That could be a deterrent, on top of the fact that the coach could choose to stay in Kansas City and remain a position coach rather than take on a more vast responsibility.

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San Francisco 49ers Sign Four Free Agents

The San Francisco 49ers bolstered their offensive and defensive lines after signing four free agents.

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Shanahan Makes Defensive Coordinator Coaching Change

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Wednesday that he has relieved Steve Wilks of his defensive coordinator duties.

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Reviewing the 2023 Season and 49ers Team Award Recipients

Learn more about the 49ers team award recipients, outlook on the Super Bowl LVIII loss and 2023 season on Wednesday morning’s episode of the “1st & 10” podcast.

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Assistant DL coach Darryl Tapp is headed to the Commanders with Anthony Lynn

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images Tapp will be the defensive line coach in washington Kyle’s update, 10:31 a.m. PT: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that 49ers assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp will join Anthony Lynn and Adam Peters in Washington. Tapp will serve as the Commanders’ defensive line coach. We’ll have to keep an eye on if any free agents follow Tapp and Lynn to Washington. On Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects “all of our coaches to be back.” We knew Klint Kubiak was headed to the New Orleans Saints to serve as their new offensive coordinator. That won’t be the only change, as 49ers assistant head coach Anthony Lynn is following former Niners assistant general manager Adam Peters and joining him in Washington to serve as the Commanders run-game coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter reported that Lynn has a close relationship with Washington’s head coach, Dan Quinn, and Peters. There’s no history of Quinn and Lynn working together directly, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t crossed paths in some way through the years. Roster and coaching staff turnover was expected. When you have success at the level the 49ers had, not just this past season but since 2019, teams will want to find out how to replicate said success. The easiest way to do that is by hiring from your staff.

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Eagles DT Fletcher Cox calls out Deebo Samuel after Super Bowl loss

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images Aaron Donald also let the Niners know what they were missing When you dish it out, you better be able to take it in return. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is quite the trash-talker. He did plenty of talking leading up to Week 13’s onslaught against the Philadelphia Eagles but backed it up with a rushing touchdown and two more through the air as he had four receptions for 116 yards. But Deebo didn’t have the day the Niners needed him to against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. He was held back from a hamstring injury, hardly a factor, and finished with three carries for eight yards and three passes for 33 yards — including one target you could count as a drop that would’ve led to a first down. Eagles defensive tackle, from his couch, let Deebo hear about it on Instagram: Cox waited 2.5 months to talk crap. That screams loser energy. He even admitted he was sitting on this in his next story: I will let you use the internet to figure out what those acronyms at the end mean. But it wasn’t just Cox trash-talking. Here’s Los Angeles Rams star defensive tackle going out of his way to remind the 49ers that they don’t have something he does, either: Aaron Donald has thrown shade toward Deebo’s way for a few years. He famously said in 2020 that he didn’t know who Samuel was. The two have had a back-and-forth since. But as long as they can flash the hardware, Cox and Donald will have the last laugh.

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49ers assistant head coach Anthony Lynn follows Adam Peters to Washington

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images Lynn will be the run-game coordinator for the Commanders On Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects “all of our coaches to be back.” We knew Klint Kubiak was headed to the New Orleans Saints to serve as their new offensive coordinator. That won’t be the only change, as 49ers assistant head coach Anthony Lynn is following former Niners assistant general manager Adam Peters and joining him in Washington to serve as the Commanders run-game coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter reported that Lynn has a close relationship with Washington’s head coach, Dan Quinn, and Peters. There’s no history of Quinn and Lynn working together directly, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t crossed paths in some way through the years. Roster and coaching staff turnover was expected. When you have success at the level the 49ers had, not just this past season but since 2019, teams will want to find out how to replicate said success. The easiest way to do that is by hiring from your staff.

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49ers OL apologizes after “hungover” tweet blaming teammate for mistake

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports The 49ers had some internet drama just a day after the Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers had several moments to pull away in Super Bowl 58 but ultimately couldn’t get the job done as Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs scored the game-winning touchdown to seal their second-straight victory on the final stage and the team’s third over the past five years. Many pointed to the 49ers’ opportunities offensively, as the 49ers had key third downs on both of their final possessions that they couldn’t convert, leading to field goal opportunities, which the Chiefs were able to respond to. A key miss came on 3rd & 4 at the Kansas City 9-yard line, where quarterback Brock Purdy appeared to be targeting wideout Jauan Jennings, who was getting open on a whip-return route. However, in dealing with a free Chris Jones rushing at him, Purdy’s timing was disrupted, and the 49ers had to settle for a red zone field goal. On social media, the blame for the free rusher was initially pointed to right tackle Colton McKivitz, but guard Jon Feliciano clarified the error, inadvertently throwing fellow guard Spencer Burford under the bus, much to his surprise. I know you know all, so u should know that’s not Colton’s guy…. https://t.co/l2siCwnMGW— Jonathan Feliciano (@MongoFeliciano) February 12, 2024 Yikes. pic.twitter.com/5iZ4eT28if— Rohan Chakravarthi (@RohanChakrav) February 13, 2024 Burford took exception to the comment, to which Feliciano apologized online, citing him being “hungover” and looking to have another teammate’s back. The 2022 fourth-round pick, who replaced Feliciano after an injury, ultimately took responsibility for not taking over the B-gap and leaving the linebacker as the free rusher, which could’ve improved the timing of the play. Should’ve fanned out and let the backer be the free hitter— Spencer Burford (@SpencerB74) February 13, 2024 Speaking with the media on Tuesday, Burford brushed off the interaction between him and Feliciano while doubling down on taking accountability for his mistake, praising McKivitz in the process. “It was just a miscommunication between us, man. He apologized,” Burford said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I should have just played within the scheme. I played on instinct. It was my fault. I don’t want anybody to put anything on Colton, whatever he has going on. Don’t blame him.” Burford then looked at the long-term implications, acknowledging that the loss was weighing on him as it was on the rest of the team. “It’s been kind of weighing on me because of everything that everybody put into it. I’m mad at the fact that we lost, don’t get me wrong,” Burford said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “You think about them, and it hurts you a little more. It means a little bit more. You got the whole organization, dynasty, you know what I’m saying? It’s a lot, but it’s only going to make you better.” While Burford’s mistake came at a crucial time, it was far from the only error that San Francisco made during the day, and yet they came just three points away from victory. Ultimately though, their efforts were not good enough to thwart Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, sending them home early once again with much to think about over the offseason.

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Purdy, Bosa, Kittle and More Reflect on the 2023 Season and Super Bowl Run

Several San Francisco 49ers players shared their final thoughts on the 2023 season and the team’s Super Bowl LVIII journey.

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Kyle Shanahan doesn't expect major changes to coaching staff

It sounds like Steve Wilks will get an opportunity with the 49ers that he’s never gotten before: a second consecutive year as a defensive coordinator.

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Arik Armstead will have surgery after playing through a torn meniscus he suffered against the Eagles

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images Armstead hopes to return by training camp According to multiple beat reporters, San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Armstead said he tore his meniscus in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Armstead missed the rest of the regular season before returning for the playoffs. Having multiple bye weeks likely helped Armstead play in each game. He told reporters that he didn’t believe he’d be able to play in the playoffs. Armstead’s surgery will take place in the coming days, and he hopes to return and be ready right around training camp. That means he’ll miss most, if not all, of the offseason. Armstead being out may make it easier for the Niners to re-sign the likes of Javon Kinlaw or Kevin Givens, two backup defensive tackles scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this offseason. Rehab time for a meniscus is anywhere between 3 to 6 months. It’s a relatively common injury. The two most recent examples we have from prominent players who suffered the same injury were Von Miller of the Buffalo Bills and Jalen Ramsey of the Miami Dolphins. Miller, 34, did not look the same after his injury. But that was also after multiple injuries. So, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. Ramsey, 29, suffered his torn meniscus at the end of July. He was expected to miss most of the season and be out until December, but he returned in Week 8 on October 29. And he didn’t miss a beat, having an interception in his first game back. So there are two examples, with one player looking like a shell of himself and the other returning early and returning to form instantly. Training camp is about 5.5 months from now.

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Brandon Aiyuk wants to remain with the 49ers ‘if it’s the right move’

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images Aiyuk is under contract for 2024 Brandon Aiyuk is technically under contract for 2024, as the San Francisco 49ers exercised his fifth-year option. It’ll be the final year of his rookie deal. Aiyuk was asked what he’d remember the most about the 49ers roster this past season, and he said, after a long pause, “guys that came into work to be champions every single day.” Whether it was the hardest postseason Aiyuk had experienced, he shook his head yes, turned around, and said, “That’s all I got.” Brandon Aiyuk was overcome with emotion when asked about this journey with his 49ers teammates pic.twitter.com/gFY7unZyfN— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) February 13, 2024 When asked if he wanted to remain with the 49ers, he said, “If it’s the right move.” Aiyuk added that means “being a champion.” The wounds are still fresh, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with showing emotion. Aiyuk just spent a year with the same people every day in one building. You don’t forget those kinds of relationships that you built. On social media, Aiyuk, his brother, and his girlfriend all made it seem like Aiyuk is a goner: @thewaynebreezie look what his girl posted on TikTok pic.twitter.com/lCPemmUCSV— Indo (@indervirpabla) February 13, 2024 Braylen is the name of Aiyuk’s son. Finally, his brother: This feels like the Deebo Samuel situation from a couple of offseasons all over again. The 49ers don’t have to do anything with Aiyuk if they don’t want to. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are set to speak with the media this afternoon, where they’ll inevitably receive questions about Aiyuk’s contract. We’ll provide updates if there’s anything more than coachspeak. Nevada is Aiyuk’s home state, so it makes sense why that’s the team his brother mentioned. But BA was also brought up being champion multiple times. The 49ers and Raiders are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to teams competing for a championship.

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Brock Purdy shares where the 49ers offense has to be better moving forward

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images It was a theme during the playoffs During the 49ers’ run to the Super Bowl, they dug themselves a whole offensively after struggling on first down. That didn’t necessarily change in the Super Bowl, as they still lacked consistency. Take the first two drives, for example. Christian McCaffrey ran for six yards, then caught a pass and had a carry for 11 yards. But, on the fourth first down, he fumbled. Then, Brock Purdy found Brandon Aiyuk for a gain of 18 yards, but Deebo Samuel lost two yards on the ensuing first down. Fast forward to the third quarter, when the 49ers had every opportunity in the world to put the Chiefs away, they only mustered one yard of offense on first downs. That’s right. Four possessions, five plays, one yard. And we’re not talking about some run-of-the-mill offense here. This year’s version of the 49ers put up eye-popping numbers all season. After the game, Brock Purdy was asked what attributed to the slow second-half start: “I’m still trying to figure it out, I’m not going to lie. I think first and second down, we just got to be better. You get into these third and longs and it’s tough to convert in those kind of situations. So, just got to be better, I think first and second down. There’s just a couple plays where I feel like defense got stops like they needed to and then our first couple plays were just either negative or we’re not moving the ball. So, it’s as simple as that.” In the Super Bowl, the 49ers generated -0.31 EPA per rush but had a 48 percent success rate. Conversely, a 45 percent success rate — slightly below average — through the air, but a positive 0.30 EPA. The main culprit here can be pointed to the offensive line, which we’ll touch on later.

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Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and More Among 49ers Team Award Recipients

Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Ji'Ayir Brown and several other 49ers were announced as 2023 team award recipients.

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The 49ers have 18 unrestricted free agents this offseason

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images There will be some difficult decisions to be made, as some starters are free agents If I were to tell you that Chase Young, Logan Ryan, and Oren Burks would play starter snaps in the biggest game of the season for the San Francisco 49ers, you would have a hard time believing that. Throw in Randy Gregory as a sub, which would have derailed the conversation. The point is that the Niners find ways to revamp their roster every offseason — and, in this case, in season. That’ll be the case for San Francisco in 2024, as they have 18 unrestricted free agents. We’ll list them, their age, and their salary from 2023 and give a brief answer about whether the team should re-sign the player. As free agency approaches, we’ll go into further depth about each individual free agent. Restricted free agents won’t be listed, so you won’t see Jauan Jennings or Ben Bartch. Randy Gregory - 31 - $14M Gregory is on the wrong side of 30, and whenever he was called upon to play more than 20 snaps, his pressure rate dipped. The Niners need a youth movement. Chase Young - 25 - $8.6M Spotrac’s market value for Young is $13 million. He had his best game in the Super Bowl and has a tremendous relationship with Nick Bosa. The Niners must ask if they can get a Charles Omenihu-level second season out of Young. That’s a tall task and could lead them to let Young walk for what will be a comp pick in the third-round range. Sam Darnold - 27 - $4.5M The decision to keep Darnold will be based on how he performed in meetings and how much he helped Brock Purdy on the sidelines and in between series. That’s the value of a backup quarterback. Plus, Darnold may want to compete as a starter elsewhere. Javon Kinlaw - 26 - $3.8M Kinlaw’s market value on Spotrac is $5.4 million annually. That would make him the 60th-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL. For Kinlaw, will he view that as a prove-it deal? He also could go somewhere and start, as he’s finally healthy. He had as many run stops in the Super Bowl as Nick Bosa despite playing 26 snaps compared to Bosa’s 68. Kinlaw is a productive player. Tashaun Gipson - 33 - $2.9M The 49ers love relying on veterans, and Gipson is a prime example. The progess of Talanoa Hufanga may determine whether Gipson is back, as Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown are the future at safety for this team. You couldn’t ask for more from Gipson during the past couple of seasons. He was signed off the street but never missed a game. The 49ers came into the game asking him to cover Travis Kelce. He also lost the ball on a 52-yard pass to Mecole Hardman — a play that looked like an easy interception from my vantage point. Sebastian Joseph - 29 - $2.7M Joseph is a run-stuffing defensive tackle who only saw four snaps in the Super Bowl. That tells you what the coaching staff thinks of him as a depth piece. Oren Burks - 29 - $2.5M Burks has been criticized for his game, as he allowed all nine of his targets to be completed for 67 yards and gave up a touchdown. The worst part about those targets was that 44 of those 67 yards came after the catch. That’s the last thing you’ll remember, which makes it difficult to bring him back. Dee Winters and Jalen Graham are waiting in the fold. Burks was considered a special teamer, so it’s difficult to fault him for struggling in a starter role. Clelin Ferrell - 27 - $2.5M The former 4th overall pick would go multiple games between generating pressures. Ferrell had the lowest pressure percentage of his career this season despite playing along the best defensive line of his life. That’s telling. Jon Feliciano - 32 - $2.25M Feliciano woke up pointing fingers: I know you know all, so u should know that’s not Colton’s guy…. https://t.co/l2siCwnMGW— Jonathan Feliciano (@MongoFeliciano) February 12, 2024 He’s correct in pointing out that the blitz above isn’t on the right guard. It’s unfortunate how often people are incorrect when watching film because the narrative of a player can change because of it. Still, it came at the expense of one of Felciano’s teammates: Im sorry bro. I woke up hungover and being a bitch. In trying to have ones back I hurt u. It’s f-Ed up and I apologize. You got nothing but greatness ahead of you. I’m sorry bro— Jonathan Feliciano (@MongoFeliciano) February 13, 2024 Friends don’t let other friends drunk Tweet. Kevin Givens - 28 - $2.1M Givens is the ideal backup and has been on this team for some time. He played 27 snaps in the Super Bowl. He, like Kinlaw, may want a more prominent role elsewhere. Ray-Ray McCloud - 27 - $2M Will the 49ers want a different return man in 2024? It’s that simple. McCloud had a reception in the Super Bowl — and a fumble — but bringing him back will be based on whether the team can count on him to be healthy for 17 games as a returner. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles - 27 - $1.8M You draft Winters and Graham to let Burks and DFF walk. That’s the forward-thinking that high-level organizations use. Ross Dwelley - 29 - $1.7M The same applies to Dwelley and Cameron Latu. Dwelley lost his job to Charlie Woerner as the TE2 on this team. Brandon Allen - 31 - $1.2M Copy and paste from Darnold, just for an emergency quarterback. Chris Conley - 31 - $1.1M Conley was outstanding in the Super Bowl, as he looked like one of the fastest players on the field covering kicks. The Niners should 100 percent bring Conley back in 2024. Logan Ryan - 33 - $1.1M There are too many examples of Ryan getting beaten in coverage — he allowed five of seven targets to be completed, gave up a touchdown, and 31 of the 43 yards were after the catch — to warrant him playing next season. It’s one thing not to trust Ambry Thomas, but it’s another to expect a safety you signed late in the season to carry such a burden. The goal this offseason is to get younger and faster and better in the secondary. The Chiefs started a bunch of kids in the secondary. Kyle Shanahan will have to evolve his thought process that only veterans can play in these spots. Matt Pryor - 29 - $1.1M Veteran depth, especially along the offensive line, is a different story. Charlie Woerner - 26 - $869K Woerner is an excellent blocker and can play on multiple special teams units. George Kittle said he was proud of how Woerner performed when he was out.

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Why 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan’s reasoning for receiving in overtime was flawed

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The 49ers head coach provided an intriguing answer for why he chose to receive. The San Francisco 49ers suffered a tough 25-22 overtime loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, marking the second time in the Kyle Shanahan era that the former lost to the latter on the final stage, going home empty. It was the second year with the revised playoff overtime rules, but this year’s Super Bowl was the first game where they actually took place, as the 49ers and Chiefs saw themselves tied at 19 a piece at the end of regulation after the latter scored a last-second, game-tying field goal. The 49ers ultimately won the coin toss and chose to receive the ball first, which I initially felt was a move to preserve the defense, who had looked gassed on the last defensive drive of regulation, and would need to trot back out there under poor circumstances. After getting the ball first, San Francisco drove down into the red zone, but a key blocking miscue on 3rd & 4 at the Kansas City 9-yard line allowed Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones to rush the passer untouched, leading to a broken play and causing the 49ers to settle for a field goal. Needing a touchdown to win, the Chiefs drove down the field and got exactly that as Patrick Mahomes hit Mecole Hardman for a short touchdown, sealing the game for Kansas City, who repeated as back-to-back champions. Why did head coach Kyle Shanahan ultimately choose to receive? He wanted his team to have the third possession, which would allow the 49ers to win in a sudden-death format. “This is something we talked about with, you know that none of us have a ton of experience of it, but we went through all the analytics and talked with those guys, and we thought it would be better; we just wanted the ball third. If both teams matched and scored, we wanted to be the ones who had the chance to go in. We got the field goal, so we knew that we had to hold them to at least a field goal. And if we did, then we thought it was in our hands after that.” And that reasoning was flawed. Now, in pointing out Shanahan’s response as an issue, I’m not advocating for receiving or deferring the coin toss, as there’s a legitimate argument for both sides, especially with how tired the 49ers defense looked at the end of regulation. But, the primary reason that there was an issue with Shanahan’s explanation is that he had a pre-determined plan that he thought Andy Reid and the Chiefs would follow. In pointing out the third possession, Shanahan believed that his team would score a touchdown, which the Chiefs would likely match, giving San Francisco the chance to score in sudden-death with a tie game. However, there was no chance that Andy Reid was letting the game go to a third possession, which is characteristic of his aggressive personality. Understanding that sudden-death idea, it was likely that the Chiefs were going to look to win the game with the ball in Patrick Mahomes’s hands. If the 49ers didn’t score, the Chiefs would go for a field goal. If San Francisco got a field goal, then Kansas City would go for a touchdown, as they did. But, in the case that the 49ers scored a touchdown, the Chiefs were going to go for two and look to win the game, rather than play the way that Shanahan imagined with his pre-determined decision. In fact, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones confirmed the logic postgame, pointing out how his team had prepared for the new overtime rules and that they were going for two if San Francisco scored a touchdown. “We talked through this for two weeks,” Jones said, via the Ringer’s Lindsay Jones. “How we was going to give the ball to the opponent; if they scored, we was going for two at the end of the game. We rehearsed it.” Safety Justin Reid revealed to The Ringer that Kansas City had discussed the new overtime rules as far back as training camp, while several 49ers players acknowledged during the postgame interviews that they weren’t aware of the new rules. Additionally, quarterback Patrick Mahomes confirmed that the Chiefs were going to defer had they won the toss in order to know what was needed from the offense ahead of time. “Yeah we were going to kick if we got it. They let us know what they were going to do, so we can go for it on that fourth down,” Mahomes said after the game. The day after the Super Bowl, Mahomes shared a similar sentiment to his defensive tackle, acknowledging that the Chiefs were certainly going for two, derailing Shanahan’s vision of getting a third possession. “I don’t know if Coach Reid wants me telling everybody, but we would’ve went for two for sure,” he said on ESPN’s SportsCenter Monday. Now, again, I think there was a legitimate argument to take the ball, as the 49ers did, given how their defense looked early and that the offense drove all the way into the red zone. But, if they started with the ball, they absolutely had to go for a touchdown, which didn’t happen. Overall, however, the entire idealogy of Shanahan’s overtime plan was flawed from the get-go because he thought the NFL’s best coach would think like him, rather than be his usual aggressive self. And that’s a decision that Shanahan will have to think long and hard about over another tough offseason.

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3 Winners and 3 losers from the 49ers Super Bowl against the Chiefs

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images Believe it or not, there were some positive performances It wasn’t supposed to end this way. This was supposed to be the year. But Patrick Mahomes is inevitable. The San Francisco 49ers were again denied on the quest for six after being handed another Super Bowl loss by the Kansas City Chiefs, this time falling short in overtime 25-22. There’s an argument to be made that the 49ers were the better team for four of the five quarters, and even that wasn’t enough to defeat the NFL’s newest dynasty. The Chiefs showed the 49ers the difference between a team that’s gotten close four times over the last five years and a team that’s won a championship for the third time in five seasons. Three winners and three losers from the final game of the 2023 season: Winner: WR Jauan Jennings With Super Bowl losses come performances that get lost in the result, and unfortunately for the 49ers receiver, his performance might be just that. Jennings’ four receptions were second-most on the team behind Christian McCaffrey’s eight, but his arm was what threw the first big punch on Sunday. After Kansas City’s third drive resulted in no points to open the game, Jennings would get his first touch on a backward pass from Brock Purdy. He would then turn to look upfield to throw before throwing back across the field to McCaffrey with a calvary ahead full head of steam, going untouched for the 21-yard score to put the 49ers up ten. Third-and-Jauan would appear in the third quarter, with a 17-yard reception on a third-and-5 to prevent a three-and-out following Kansas City’s first touchdown. The third down reception extended what would blossom into a 12-play drive ending in Jennings’ first-career Super Bowl touchdown reception. Purdy found Jennings on a quick hitter a couple of yards off the line of scrimmage, giving the receiver some work. He would slip out of a L’Jarius Snead tackle attempt before powering through Mike Edwards to break the plane to give San Francisco a fourth-quarter lead. Had there been a different result, we would be talking about Jauan Jennings, the Super Bowl MVP, but instead, the performance will be filed somewhere next to the Super Bowl catches made by Julio Jones and Jermaine Kearse. Winner: the first-half defense There are not too many better spots to be in than holding Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to three points in the first half, but that’s where the 49ers found themselves on Sunday. Everything was going to plan for Steve Wilks and the San Francisco defense. Mahomes and the Chiefs offense managed 123 first-half passing yards, with the only big play coming on a 52-yard pass from Mahomes to Mecole Hardman, but outside of that, it could not have been a more perfect first half. The Chiefs first half drives result in a: Punt Punt Fumble Punt Field goal The defensive line was getting contributions from every spot. Chase Young played his best game in a 49ers jersey, including a first-half sack. Arik Armstead recorded a sack of his own. Randy Gregory had a big tackle on Mahomes’ third-and-long scramble, cutting the play short for a gain of four. Even after the Hardman 52-yard reception, the defense made one of the game’s biggest plays. Inside the San Francisco 10-yard-line for the first time, Mahomes handed the ball off to Isaiah Pacheco, who had the ball knocked out by Deommodore Lenoir, recovered by Javon Hargrave, abruptly ending the drive. In the first half, the defense did its job to keep the door open for the offense to take early control of the game. Loser: not capitalizing on the first-half defense The offense, however, did its best to keep Kansas City in the game, managing just ten points on five first-half drives. San Francisco started the game with the ball and opened with what seemed to be a promising drive. McCaffrey had two carries for 17 yards, with Purdy completing both pass attempts for 29 yards. The offense quickly found itself near the red zone, with McCaffrey getting his fourth touch in five plays, but Leo Chenal managed to knock the ball out, recovered by George Karlaftis, ending a drive that seemed destined for at least three points. The 49ers offense from there would go: Punt Field goal Punt Touchdown End of half After the fumble, it took some time to find a rhythm, and while it managed the two scores in the first half, the offensive struggles leaked into the third quarter, with the first three drives in the second half ending in punts. The defense did its job holding the Kansas City offense to the three points, but the ten points in response wasn’t nearly enough to keep what turned out to be the inevitable from happening. Loser: all the miscues What makes the loss on Sunday just that much more painful - at least to me - is there isn’t just one play to pinpoint where the game was lost in previous years. But while there wasn’t just one play, there were several throughout the game that you would like to have back, especially with the result. The first big turn of the game was McCaffrey’s fumble on the opening drive, but Kansas City did nothing with the free drive, giving the ball right back to San Francisco. Yes, the points lost on the drive hurt, but it’s still the game’s first drive. There are plenty of chances to make up, but the offense never seemed to recover. Then, to open the second half, Ji’Ayir Brown picked off Mahomes inside Kansas City territory to set the offense up with prime field position. The offense responded with three plays, losing one yard and punting the ball back to Mahomes and company. A few drives later, with San Francisco holding onto a four-point lead, the defense again forced a Kansas City punt. Ray-Ray McCloud opted to let the ball drop, but the ball landed and deflected off Darrell Luter’s foot, forcing McCloud to try to return the ball. Instead of falling on the ball, McCloud wanted to pick it up but stumbled, allowing a Kansas City recovery. The Chiefs would score its first touchdown on the next play. The 49ers offense, however, would answer back with a touchdown to regain the lead with a PAT pending to extend the lead to four. However, Chenal blocked Jake Moody's attempt to keep the Chiefs within a field goal. And on the very next drive, Kansas City tied the game with a field goal. None of these moments necessarily cost the 49ers the game, but each is a bookmark for a what-if moment in a game where the result could be different if any of these plays go the 49ers’ way. Winner: QB Brock Purdy Was it his best performance? No. Was it a great performance? Not quite. But Brock Purdy went blow-for-blow in the Super Bowl against a quarterback who will have the greatest of all-time moniker within the next few years and came *this* close to coming out on top. Steve Spagnuolo and the Kansas City defense threw the kitchen sink at Purdy, and the second-year quarterback seemed unphased. His stat line of 255 yards with a touchdown might not be his most impressive, but at no point did the moment seem too big for Purdy. And even under pressure, Purdy stood firm: Brock Purdy completed 12 of his 19 attempts against the blitz for 131 yards and a touchdown while getting sacked once in Super Bowl LVIII.The Chiefs defense blitzed on 51.2% of dropbacks, their 4th-highest rate in a game under DC Steve Spagnuolo.#SuperBowlLVIII | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/pnEIQRX1Cw— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) February 12, 2024 Three of the four final drives of the game - including the one-play kneel - saw the 49ers either trailing or tied with Kansas City, needing to put points on the board. After the Chiefs took its first lead of the game in the fourth quarter, Purdy and the 49ers offense responded with a 12-play touchdown-scoring drive, with Purdy throwing for 60 yards and finishing the drive with the touchdown pass to Jennings, giving the 49ers a three-point fourth-quarter lead. The Chiefs would tie the game, putting the ball back into Purdy’s hands in a tie game with 5:46 left in regulation. Purdy would hit Jennings again, this time for 23 yards, to move the ball to midfield, where a couple of runs would put the 49ers in field goal range to retake a three-point lead. Kansas City matched the field goal, sending the game to overtime, where the 49ers started with the ball (that decision might require its own post and is entirely too much to go into in winners and losers). Purdy would drive the 49ers down the field, completing four-of-six passes, including a short pass McCaffrey took 24 yards to get deep into Kansas City territory. However, when faced with a third-and-four inside the 10-yard-line, the right side of the 49ers offensive line left Chris Jones unblocked, not giving Purdy enough time to hit Jennings, who had space for either the first down or the touchdown. And that was that. Field goals don’t win Super Bowls, that’s for sure. But in a season where there were plenty of questions surrounding just how good Purdy is, the quarterback didn’t shy away when the lights were at their brightest. While short in his first chance, Purdy looked like a quarterback that could win a Super Bowl. But while he looked like he could win a Super Bowl, the quarterback on the other side already had that experience of winning the Super Bowl, and it showed. Loser: giving Patrick Mahomes two chances where a touchdown wins the game It sucks that Tom Brady finally retired after his two decades of dominance, and the NFL didn’t get a break from the “one quarterback dominates the league” prototype. Kansas City allowing the game to go to overtime felt like a lifeline to the 49ers. With San Francisco up three with 1:53 left, Mahomes methodically walked the Kansas City offense down the field, completing four passes and moving the ball deep into San Francisco territory. Kansas City had a chance to end the game in regulation with the ball at San Francisco’s 11-yard line with 10 seconds left, but Mahomes couldn’t find Travis Kelce, setting up the game-tying field goal. While Mahomes didn’t beat the 49ers in regulation, San Francisco gave him another chance to drive the dagger into the heart in overtime. The 49ers’ offense couldn’t quite get in the endzone on their opportunity in the extra period, and Mahomes would make them pay. Mahomes completed all eight of his passes and added 27 rushing yards - eight coming on a fourth-and-1 that could have ended the game - hitting Hardman for the Lombardi-winning touchdown. San Francisco played with fire twice, giving Mahomes two chances to win the game. They got away with a slight burn the first time, but the second time, Mahomes engulfed them in flames.

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3 quick takeaways from the 49ers 25-22 loss to the Chiefs

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports The 49ers didn’t capitalize on enough opportunities, leading to another crushing defeat. The San Francisco 49ers saw their hearts broken once again, as they fell short to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 25-22 in an overtime loss. In the loss, the 49ers had opportunities, both in regulation and overtime, but ultimately couldn’t capitalize enough, while the Chiefs made enough plays to get the job done. Defensively, the 49ers held Patrick Mahomes and Co. to three first-half points, but appeared tired as the game went on, ultimately losing when the star quarterback hit Mecole Hardman for a touchdown in the red zone to win the game. Here are three quick takeaways from the 49ers’ 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Starting fast Of course, the memories etched into 49ers fans’ minds come with the disappointing finish, but the team’s start to the game was equally important. The 49ers were rolling early on their first drive, nearing the red zone, but Kansas City’s Leo Chenal forced a fumble on Christian McCaffrey, leading to an early-game turnover. After forcing a three-and-out, the 49ers offense seemed to generate traction again, as Brock Purdy found Brandon Aiyuk for an 18-yard gain on first down, leading San Francisco to their own 42-yard line. From there, however, Trent Williams had a holding penalty, as well as a false start, which served as drive-killers for the 49ers. Fast-forward to the team’s next offensive possession and the 49ers had momentum once again, driving down to the Kansas City 33-yard line with a 1st & 10. Once again though, the Chiefs were able to hold down the fort, limiting San Francisco to a 55-yard field goal from Jake Moody. The defense, which was fantastic early with two quick forced punts, was able to generate a turnover as Deommodore Lenoir forced an Isiah Pacheco fumble inside the red zone. Once again, San Francisco had early momentum, as linebacker Nick Bolton was flagged for a horse-collar tackle on Brock Purdy, leading the 49ers to the 32-yard line on their first play of the drive. From there? A punt after three plays, leading to another early missed opportunity. San Francisco did score a touchdown on their last drive of the half, while limiting the Chiefs to a field goal on their final chance, leading the halftime score to be 10-3. But, while it was a solid start for the 49ers, it wasn’t good enough, as they had several opportunities that were killed by penalties, turnovers, or the failure to capitalize on opponent giveaways. Starting fast was the key to the game for the 49ers, and they should’ve been up more than seven points at the half. Turnovers Turnovers were a key difference in the game. Yes, both teams gave the ball away twice, but the difference in how each team capitalized off those turnovers was big swings in the game. Both teams had a fumble in opposing territory that the other side couldn’t capitalize on, but the punt return fumble and the interception were the two key differences in the game. On the first drive of the second half, Patrick Mahomes threw a third-down interception to Ji’Ayir Brown on a deep pass intended for Marquez Valdez-Scantling, providing the 49ers with a great chance, as they got the ball at the Kansas City 44-yard line up 10-3. With a chance to go up two scores and change the entire outlook of the game, the 49ers went pass-pass-pass, as they were derailed by a second-down false start on Aaron Banks, ultimately punting at the Kansas City 45-yard line. Now, I didn’t hate the pass-heavy formula, as the Chiefs were all over the 49ers’ run game on early downs and San Francisco had advantages throwing out of their 21-personnel packages. However, they got zero traction on a drive where a pristine opportunity was given to them, and they couldn’t even get a field goal, which would’ve provided San Francisco with a two-score lead. The 49ers did pin the Chiefs at their own two-yard line ahead of their next drive, with the defense forcing another three-and-out deep in Kansas City territory. But, after getting the ball back at their 36-yard line, the 49ers, once again, went three-and-out, going pass-pass-pass again, this time getting derailed by a loss of eight yards on first down. So, the 49ers couldn’t capitalize on the interception, keeping the game at a one-score lead. The biggest turnaround, though, came when the 49ers had a fumble via their punt unit, as a ball bounced off Darrell Luter’s foot and returner Ray-Ray McCloud attempted to scoop the ball up, rather than fall on the ball, to no avail. One play later, the Chiefs scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Marquez Valdez-Scantling, providing them their first lead of the game at 13-10. Both teams got great opportunities to capitalize off turnovers. The 49ers didn’t and the Chiefs did, resulting in a seven-point swing during a close game. Third downs One of the biggest discrepancies of the night was the third-down conversion rate. The Chiefs were consistently able to move the chains, converting 9/19 of their third downs, while the 49ers only hit on 3/12 of their chances. The discrepancy was clearly felt in the second half, as the 49ers defense, which had been spectacular in the first half, seemed tired over the final 30 minutes of regulation, especially as the game was nearing its end. Not only could the defense not get off the field, but the offense couldn’t stay on the field, leading to more pressure on Steve Wilks’s unit. The Chiefs were 5/7 on third downs over their last three drives, converting opportunities on 3rd & 10, 3rd & 7, and 3rd & 6 to keep the chains moving. On their final two drives, the 49ers went 1/3 on third downs, with their two misses coming on well-timed Steve Spagnulo blitzes that changed the entire direction of the game. During the first play after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, Spagnulo sent a blitz on 3rd & 5, forcing Purdy to quickly get rid of the ball, taking him away from the top option, which was Brandon Aiyuk working 1-on-1 with space in the slot. One of the biggest plays of the game and a hell of a disguise by Spags and McDuffie. Purdy thought they were bracketing Aiyuk in the slot, which is why he looked away from the quick slant.McDuffie times up the blitz perfectly as soon as Purdy calls for the ball. https://t.co/aXG60Q1zYv— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) February 12, 2024 However, the blitz was well disguised, as slot cornerback Trent McDuffie appeared to backpedal right before the snap, showing that he may look to help bracket Brandon Aiyuk in the slot before rushing after the quarterback. With Purdy missing to a well-covered Jauan Jennings, the 49ers were forced to settle for a field goal early, rather than running out the clock, which the Chiefs matched on their final drive, sending the game to overtime. Then, in overtime, facing a 3rd & 4 at the Kansas City 9-yard line, 49ers right guard Spencer Burford seemed to miss his assignment, allowing star Chris Jones to get into the backfield unblocked, disrupting Purdy’s timing. While Purdy had Jauan Jennings coming open on a whip-return route that could’ve resulted in a touchdown, the immediate pressure forced an errant throw, causing the 49ers to settle for a field goal. The Chiefs, of course, marched down the field and scored the game-winning touchdown, sending the 49ers home empty-handed once again. The primary takeaway is that there isn’t just one area, person, or play that ultimately caused the 49ers to lose, but rather a collective of opportunities that San Francisco couldn’t capitalize on. Now, it’s back to offseason mode, where the 49ers will need to figure out some key roster questions as they look to make and win the Super Bowl next season.

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49ers players reflect on losing Dre Greenlaw: ‘Dre is a one of one human being’

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Greenlaw’s injury was a crushing blow to the Niners The San Francisco 49ers lost the heart and soul of their defense in Super Bowl LVIII, as Dre Greenlaw suffered a non-contact Achilles injury. Greenlaw had three early tackles and was the enforcer that he had always been during the season. Then, the most devastating injury of the season happened. Replacing his injury — and skill — is impossible. It wasn’t the reason the 49ers came up short, but the emotions of losing one of your best players can’t go unnoticed. Nick Bosa spoke about the difficulties of continuing to be enthusiastic without Greenlaw: “It was hard. Sometimes, when things like that happen, it could sway the momentum just because it’s such an emotional feeling. But I do think we did a good job continuing to play the way we were playing. And Dre is a one-of-one human being. He was pushing through so much this year. And I think 99 percent of players wouldn’t have been able to do what he did. And he put his body on the line for this, and it sucks that we can’t get him one.” Here’s Arik Armstead: “Dre’s obviously an amazing player. He is one of the best players on our team and one of the best linebackers in the NFL, so he’s our enforcer and our tone setter. Not having him is a huge loss. I am proud of the way the guys stepped up. Flannigan-Fowles and Oren Burks both stepped up. I think they played extremely well in his absence, but obviously, Dre is an amazing player.” Fred Warner has a special bond with Greenlaw. He was emotional at halftime: “I’m sick to my stomach. I’m still sick. I see him at halftime, and I’m crying ‘cause I’m so hurt for him and obviously wanting to win this for him and...sickening.” Recovery timelines vary on the athlete. If the injury is treated properly and there are no setbacks, Greenlaw can return to normal activity anywhere between four to six months. There is a risk of a recurrent rupture, and the returning athlete may have reduced strength and endurance by up to 30 percent compared to uninjured players. We can point to three recent Achilles, all running backs, as examples. Then, the Chicago Bears' running back Tarik Cohen, the New York Giants’ James Robinson, and the Baltimore Ravens’ Justice Hill all suffered an Achilles tear. Hill missed the first half of the following season, and now that he’s a full season removed from the injury, he still has his athleticism. Again, it depends on the athlete. Dre is one of the best, so perhaps he’ll bounce back and not lose a step.

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Kyle Shanahan explains his decision to receive the ball first in overtime

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Shanahan is getting plenty of scrutiny for receiving the ball first Much has been made about the San Francisco 49ers’ decision to receive the ball in overtime. With the new playoff rules, each team gets an opportunity to possess the ball. Knowing that some figure it’s wise to defer. In the flow of the game, the 49ers’ defense had just been on the field for 11 plays, and it looked like they needed an IV more than another drive. Plus, they had lost a pair of starters in their secondary. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the decision to receive the ball was decided well before the final drive of the game: “We decided that before before Greenlaw tore his Achilles.” Furthermore, we’re talking about the best unit in all of football — the 49ers offense — putting pressure on the Chiefs to score. San Francisco scored but left the door open for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to do what they always do — snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Shanahan said he never considered going for it on fourth down: “No, we never thought about it there fourth and four. I mean, even if we do go and score, they still can go down and match it, and so not there wasn’t a thought there.” Kick a field goal and get a stop. Lost in the decision to receive the ball is the 49ers giving up a 4th & 1, seven yards on 2nd & 13, a 3rd &6 completion for a first down, and 19 yards on 3rd & 19. Shanahan wanted to be the team who had the ball third, and that’s why he took the ball first: “This is something we talked about with, you know that none of us have a ton of experience of it, but we went through all the analytics and talked with those guys, and we thought it would be better; we just wanted the ball third. If both teams matched and scored, we wanted to be the ones who had the chance to go in. We got the field goal, so we knew that we had to hold them to at least a field goal. And if we did, then we thought it was in our hands after that.” There’s logic and thought put into the decision. It makes sense why you’d take the ball first. The one problem is you better score a touchdown against Patrick Mahomes. The 49ers didn’t, and because of that, there will be endless scrutiny. It’s easy to point the finger in hindsight, but execution on both sides of the ball in overtime failed the Niners, not the decision to receive the ball first. The offense had 2nd & 4 at the Chiefs 9-yard line. I’ve yet to hear anybody bring that up when talking about receiving the ball. A bust in pass protection on 3rd down is the reason they didn’t score a touchdown. You can’t ignore the offense moving the ball into the low red zone and still criticize Shanahan’s decision to receive.

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The good and bad from the 49ers' Super Bowl loss in OT against the Chiefs

Looking back at the good and the bad from the 49ers’ heartbreaking overtime loss in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs.

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49ers are the favorites to win Super Bowl LIX next year

Despite losing to the Chiefs on Sunday night, the 49ers actually opened as the favorites to win the Super Bowl next year

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Position-by-position grades from the 49ers crushing Super Bowl LVIII loss

Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images The 49ers were a play away from a Super Bowl victory, but once again, they fell short. The San Francisco 49ers fell short in Super Bowl LVIII, losing 25-22 in overtime to Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City. The 49ers led 16-13 with less than two minutes left in regulation. Then led 22-19 in overtime. The Niners defense was just one stop away from the title. Instead, Mahomes further fueled GOAT conversations as he raised the Lombardi Trophy once again. Here are position-by-position grades for the game: Quarterbacks: C+ Brock Purdy had a couple of throws that could have been picked off, but one was because of a drop by Deebo Samuel and the other would have been a fantastic play by Trent McDuffie. The fact is, Purdy did a great job avoiding negative plays. He had no turnovers and only took one sack despite a rough day from the offensive line. With that said, it was also one of his least efficient games of the season and lacked one of those signature late-game dimes that seemed to clinch so many wins this season. Chris Jones undeniably led Purdy to airmail some downfield opportunities, but this was not akin to Super Bowl LV, when Tampa Bay derailed Mahomes and Kansas City’s offense through pressure. We’ve seen Purdy find a way to complete those throws at other moments. Purdy had a solid, bordering on above-average overall performance, but that was it. Running backs: B+ Christian McCaffrey was once again the 49ers most dynamic weapon, racking up 160 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. But he also fumbled on the 49ers first possession inside Kansas City’s 30. It cost San Francisco a field-goal attempt and possibly even more points. Balancing out the positives and negatives from McCaffrey’s day brings the unit’s grade to a B, but Kyle Juszczyk’s impact as a blocked and on a pair of receptions lifts it a bit higher. Tight ends: C+ George Kittle hauled in a crucial fourth-down conversion late in the fourth quarter that led to the 49ers final touchdown drive of the game. However, the 49ers tight end was relegated by injuries, playcalling, and Kansas City’s defense to primarily impacting the game solely as a blocker the rest of the way. When Kittle was briefly sidelined by injury, Brayden Willis was called for a hold. Wide receivers: B Jauan Jennings may have had a strong case for Super Bowl MVP if the 49ers had pulled out the victory. He completed a touchdown pass to McCaffrey on a fun trick play in the first half and caught Purdy’s only touchdown in the second. Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel were both held in check by Kansas City’s top corners. Airyuk led San Francisco’s wideouts with 49 receiving yards on just three receptions (six targets). Samuel caught just three of his 11 targets for 33 yards. Granted, Samuel could have had some big plays downfield if Purdy had made more accurate throws. Offensive line: D Perhaps it’s unfair to knock the unit so much for getting dominated by Chris Jones who, after all, dominates most opponents. But the 49ers offensive line allowed Jones to dictate far too much of the game. McCaffrey racked up yards, but was rarely able to get anything going on inside runs, an area Kansas City had struggled in throughout the season. The 49ers offensive line had too many mixups in pass coverage against Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz-heavy approach. Even Trent Williams got called for a couple of out of character penalties. Defensive line: A- The 49ers defensive line was finally living up to expectations in the first half. Chase Young and Randy Gregory were wreaking havoc opposite of Nick Bosa while Arik Armstead was a force on the interior alongside Javon Hargrave and Javon Kinlaw. Yet, as the game wore on, the line seemed to tire, allowing Mahomes to get going and mount a comeback. The line generated three sacks, five tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hits over the course of the contest, and played quite well, but the result looks different if they had a stronger kick. Linebackers: B+ Early in the game, Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner were playing out of their minds. There may not be a linebacker in football who seems to take over games as completely as Greenlaw when he is at his best. Of course, Greenlaw was sidelined early, however, with a heartbreaking Achilles injury and was out for most of the game. Warner was able to keep Travis Kelce quiet for most of the game, but got beat for a big play late in the fourth quarter. Oren Burks and Demetrius Flanagan-Fowles were solid in place of Greenlaw, but there is a difference between facing two dominant linebackers and a duo with a clear weaker link. As 49ers fans relive those designed runs for Mahomes, it’s hard not to think about Greenlaw’s dynamic speed making a difference if he didn’t bite on the fake. Cornerbacks: B The 49ers corners had the easiest task, and while they may not have dominated, they made sure that Kansas City’s receivers did not change any perceptions. Safeties: B The 49ers safeties had some big coverage lapses, but Ji’Ayir Brown also made the defense’s best play of the game, intercepting a Mahomes pass. Special teams: D It’s a shame that Mitch Wishnowsky and Chris Conley’s exceptional special teams performances were overshadowed by a fumbled punt return and Jake Moody’s missed extra point, arguably the 49ers two most costly mistakes of the game. Moody made all three of his field goals, including a pair from beyond 50 yards, but his low extra point and the punt that landed on Darrel Luter Jr’s foot and could not be recovered by Ray-Ray McCloud will haunt the Niners faithful for years.

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Kyle Shanahan shares praise for 49ers QB Brock Purdy after Super Bowl loss vs. Chiefs

Following their loss to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, Kyle Shanahan shared praise for the 49ers QB.

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Instant reaction to the 49ers 25-22 loss to the Chiefs

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports The 49ers fell short in an overtime classic against the Chiefs in a devastating finish. In a crushing defeat, the San Francisco 49ers fell short once again to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, losing 25-22 in overtime to go home without a Lombardi Trophy. In the loss, the 49ers seemed to flip their usual script in the playoffs early on, struggling to compile scores offensively despite having some promise, while locking Patrick Mahomes and Co. down defensively. However, they couldn’t create enough of a gap between the Chiefs, who mounted a second-half comeback effort, with the game ultimately going to overtime before Kansas City beat the 49ers by scoring a touchdown, as opposed to a field goal. Following the game, 49ers analyst Rohan Chakravarthi shared his instant reaction to the team’s 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, pointing out the major takeaways for the team moving forward. Offense It was a tough game for the 49ers offensively early on, as Christian McCaffrey fumbled on the opening drive in Kansas City territory. From there, a penalty derailed the next drive, while the 49ers settled for a field goal on the ensuing drive, leading to a 3-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The 49ers finally got in the endzone with a trick-play touchdown, as Jauan Jennings hit Christian McCaffrey, who did the rest for a 21-yard score. In the second half, the 49ers couldn’t capitalize on an interception, ultimately going three-and-out on each of their first three drives, despite having good field position. But, they were able to respond after Kansas City scored, putting up nine fourth-quarter points with a field goal and a touchdown, although kicker Jake Moody missed an extra point that proved to be costly. In overtime, the 49ers, once again, showed promise, but couldn’t put together a touchdown drive in the red zone, settling for their third field goal of the game. In the end, they couldn’t take advantage of enough opportunities on this end of the game, which contributed to their brutal loss. Defense After the defense struggled in the first half over the last two games, the 49ers turned things around with strong defensive play early on, holding the Chiefs to just three points, which came on the final drive of the half. San Francisco forced three early punts and then a fumble when the Chiefs drove down the field, with Steve Wilks calling one of his best halves of the season against a tough opponent. After Ji’Ayir Brown secured an interception on the opening drive of the second half and San Francisco forced another three-and-out, Kansas City started to chop back into the lead as the defense began to get tired. Following a field goal drive, the Chiefs recovered a 49ers’ muffed punt, resulting in a one-play touchdown from Patrick Mahomes to Marquez Valdez-Scantling, which gave Kansas City their first lead of the game. Kansas City settled for two more field goals on 12 and 11-play drives on their final opportunities of the second half, leading to a 19-19 tie at the end of the game. Then, in overtime, while he only needed a field goal, Patrick Mahomes made the necessary plays, leading Kansas City to a touchdown, and therefore, the Super Bowl in a devastating finish to an amazing game for the 49ers. Now, the 49ers will be searching for answers as they figure out the best way to return to the big stage, falling short of their Super Bowl aspirations once again in the playoffs.

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49ers injury news: Dre Greenlaw has torn Achilles

Kyle Shanahan confirmed 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw suffered a torn achilles in the Super Bowl.

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