The 49ers will have to make big changes to bounce back in 2025

The 49ers did it again, scoring just 10 points and losing by over 20 points. This never happened in 2023, when the Niners reached the Super Bowl. Not a single game ended in a loss by more than 20 points, and they never scored just 10 points. So what’s this new team all about? People will claim injuries have ruined their strength, and while that’s true, it doesn’t explain all of their problems this season. What needs to be done to give this team a shot at the playoffs or at least a winning season in 2025?

Kyle Shanahan zealots have preached that this team’s problems won’t weigh on him all season. They say he’s a magical playmaker who revolutionized this offense and can do no wrong. Now people are starting to rub the dirt out of their eyes and the reality is setting in: it was one of the biggest problems. Whether you look at the team morale, the play calls or the use of injured players in the game, it was a season full of mistakes. No matter how you look at it, nothing worked offensively for this team, and now other people are seeing it too.

Some might argue that Christian McCaffrey’s loss doomed him. I would argue that being so reliant on a player coming through an injury is a problem. While some may argue that Brandon Aiyuk ruined the offseason by telling everything about him, I would argue that Kyle didn’t close the deal quickly enough and caused drama. While some may argue that this team lacks courage, I would argue that they have become complacent with Shanahan at the helm. Some may argue that the talent on the team isn’t good enough. I would rather say look at the GM who picked these exact players.

Even if you disagree with some of my arguments, you cannot deny that there is some truth in them. If Kyle had given Aiyuk an extension sooner, this offseason drama wouldn’t have happened. If Kyle didn’t use CMC in 7 of the first 10 games against the Bills, he might not be injured. Having a HC/GM to question is not a good sign.

The way I viewed Kyle Shanahan this season is rather simple. He proved to be the head coach who started the wave of the new NFL offense. He’s never been the guy to boost morale like Dan Campbell or make his team believe they can win games, he’s a guy who thinks up incredible things. This season, teams have shown that they know how to handle this Shanahan offense and how to beat it. So if he’s not cheering on the team, bringing the best players to the forefront, or leading a winning offense, what’s the point of him? I don’t see it. Unless Kyle can invent something new to help him win football games, I don’t see how next season will change. If I were the Yorks, I would decide if it’s time to move Kyle from his GM/HC role and make him either HC or GM. Anything else feels like a mistake.

This was one of the most disappointing parts of the season. The lack of momentum is shifting in the 49ers’ favor. Pick any game the 49ers lost and you’ll see it. There were several in the Bills game. When CMC went down, James Cook’s big TD run and Juice’s fumble, it was everywhere. You can see it in the players’ eyes and shoulders, they start to slump and look down. They simply look defeated. That’s not how you win football games. You win by sticking with it and believing you have a chance, and the 49ers weren’t that as a team.

Some players still have the “game isn’t over” mentality and give their heart and soul. Guys like George Kittle, Fred Warner, Deommodore Lenoir and Trent Williams will fight until their bodies collapse. Damn, Fred Warner is doing it with a broken ankle now. That determination wasn’t present in the rest of the team. In that same Bills game, every time I didn’t see Warner in the game, the LBs looked weak and unable to stop anything. They didn’t run towards the ball, they sat still and were complacent. The 2023 49ers didn’t do that. The 2023 49ers never thought a team could beat them. This team knows they can be beaten and will apologize for it. “The snow was too much, we didn’t have a QB, we’re injured.” My 4th grade teacher didn’t want to hear my excuse for not doing my homework. Do you really think Niners fans want to hear yours? They don’t do that. They want to see you fight and win instead of lying down.

This team was on both sides of the fence in terms of effort. The 49ers have used them too often for some players, one example being Christian McCaffrey. While he had just recovered from a very serious Achilles tendon injury, he was overused, which led to his injury. If only people would say they should use Jordan Mason more often. Then there’s the underutilization caused by guys like Jacob Cowing and Dee Winters. I thought these two would be used more this season, but that’s not the case. Both, especially Cowing, were hardly used. Since they have so few reps on the field, things aren’t looking great. If they had more reps, who knows what type of player they could be? It follows on from that crowded QB room the 49ers got in the offseason. They added Joshua Dobbs to address the potential injury from injured QBs, but they aren’t using him when he’s needed. You might think Joshua Dobbs would have been an asset, but that wasn’t a factor, even though it should have been important.

This team is overwhelmed with large orders, and many of them have not been fulfilled. We haven’t seen Javon Hargrave all year, Deebo looks like a shell of his former self, and the Juice looks like a wasted roster spot. These guys either have big contracts or are about to get one and don’t deserve it. This team needs to find new talent to lead. New talents with new mentalities. As much as I would like to see it, the fact that Kyle is the GM and picks whoever he wants scares me. Who knows if he will choose the talent he desperately needs? Maybe he trades a few first-round picks for someone who never gets any snaps.

All in all, there are a lot of problems with this team. Can changes be made to get them into the playoffs this year, yes. Will it happen? Probably not, they haven’t given me any reason to believe it yet. I hope some of these changes can be implemented next season and if not, I would fear for the future of this team.

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