The Rams will meet their arch-rivals from the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers, about 10 weeks from now. Trying on the modifications that the 49ers have made within the offseason, together with the addition of Mike Evans and the return of Nick Bosa from a torn ACL, it’s not clear to me if San Francisco has improved as a lot because the media appears to suppose they’ve.
Did San Francisco’s modifications truly enhance their crew?
Or will the 49ers merely look a bit completely different however have the identical consequence as each different season, over-achieving however falling quick?
The lack of Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator is big. The previous Jets and present Titans head coach helped Kyle Shanahan’s protection rebound in 2025, a 12 months after San Francisco’s protection had an uncharacteristic collapse beneath DC Nick Sorenson, surviving the losses of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to harm.
Saleh left the 49ers for Tennessee, and Shanahan employed Raheem Morris shortly after he was let go by the Atlanta Falcons.
Shanahan has identified Morris about so long as Sean McVay has, in order that’s a giant cause why he’s been employed in San Francisco:
“I’ve been with Raheem a number of places,” Shanahan mentioned. “That’s why I respect him so much as a coach, as a person. … Raheem has been in a lot of different schemes, knows how to utilize personnel, and I’ve always known he’s one of the best coaches I’ve been around.”
I can’t put Morris on the identical tier as Saleh although. Not as a defensive coordinator.
Saleh has had extra expertise and extra success as a defensive coordinator in comparison with Morris. Did Shanahan rent Morris due to expertise or due to familiarity? And if anybody else is acquainted with Morris’s protection, it’s McVay.
The 49ers have just a few new faces on the roster this 12 months that can be counted on to enhance:
WR Mike EvansWR Christian KirkDT Osa OdighizuwaLB Dre GreenlawCB Nate HobbsP Corliss Waitman
GM John Lynch made a commerce with the Cowboys for underrated defensive deal with Osa Odighizuwa. Informal observers might not be as acquainted with the title, however the Niners definitely put lots of inventory into him: San Francisco traded a third-round decide for Odighizuwa, lower than a 12 months after he signed a four-year, $80 million contract with Dallas.
The defensive deal with isn’t a sack-artist, however Cowboys followers love his crew presence and hustle. In different phrases, good, not nice, however an improve nonetheless. Shanahan has already referred to as him the most effective leaders on the crew nevertheless:
Greenlaw returns after he spent one 12 months with the Denver Broncos and although he’s not a Corridor of Famer, or perhaps a Professional Bowler, he is aware of the project and must be absolutely healed from a torn Achilles suffered in 2024. He’s nonetheless the perfect linebacker the Niners have discovered to place subsequent to Fred Warner:
”After parting methods with linebacker Dee Winters throughout April’s NFL Draft, San Francisco’s fallback choices aren’t precisely at Greenlaw’s degree. Tatum Bethune is primarily a run-stopping linebacker, whereas Garrett Wallow and Luke Gifford are particular groups aces. Second-year professional Nick Martin could be on the fringes of the roster after disappointing in 2025, and rookie Jaden Dugger has promise however is an unpolished first-year professional.”
The Broncos, nevertheless, launched Greenlaw after he struggled to remain on the sector, showing in solely eight video games through the 2025 season on account of accidents. One other one on the well being watch record.
If these aren’t lateral strikes, then they’re simply minor upgrades, at greatest.
Mike Evans is the large title addition
However so too is new primary receiver Mike Evans, and he’s additionally about to show 33. The Niners signed the longtime Bucs star to a three-year, $42.5 million contract, regardless of Evans lacking half of final season with hamstring and collarbone accidents. And he solely had 368 yards within the eight video games he performed in.
Lynch didn’t cease there, additionally signing vet Christian Kirk to a one-year, $3 million contract. Kirk has simply 618 yards over the previous two seasons, and the Niners can be his third crew in as a few years. Between Evans, Kirk, Stribling, and Pearsall, will Purdy find yourself with even two star receivers this 12 months?
It’s definitely not prone to be pretty much as good as Puka Nacua and Davante Adams as a duo.
That’s one of many causes that L.A.‘s acquisitions of cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson is so impactful:
Matching up those two players on any of Shanahan’s two receivers is extra doubtless than to not yield optimistic outcomes for the Rams. Moreover, now it’s going to be Myles Garrett in opposition to Trent Williams at left deal with, giving Purdy even much less time to improvise and dance within the pocket, certainly one of his signature weapons as a quarterback.
Les Snead has carried out the work to decelerate the 49ers with these strikes on protection.
Bosa, Kittle working their manner again
The Niners might have completed twentieth in complete protection in 2025, however Bosa was injured in Week 3 and missed all however three video games. The 2022 Defensive Participant of the Yr says he “plans on being ready” for Week 1, nearly one 12 months after he tore his ACL. Tight finish George Kittle has the identical purpose, to have the ability to go well with up for the Rams in Australia in Week 1.
How a lot of a menace the Niners can be in Week 1 won’t solely depend upon the provision of these two stars, but in addition the viability. How prepared for soccer motion will they be in 2.5 months? That might depend upon how a lot they’ve practiced, which no person is aware of but. Bosa and Kittle are two of the perfect gamers within the league at their positions, however I’d a lot relatively face them in Week 1 than Week 9 or Week 18, given their arduous rehabs.
And people aren’t the one points going through San Francisco’s starters.
Purdy’s receiving weapons, of which he ended up with nearly no stars by the top of final season (Jauan Jennings, now departed, led all Niners wideouts with 643 yards and 9 touchdowns), proceed to create extra questions than solutions.
Brandon Aiyuk is refusing to play for the 49ers and demanding to be lower. Whether or not Lynch abides will not be clear, however that’s one receiver we are able to guarantee received’t play for San Francisco once more.Ricky Pearsall, a primary spherical decide in 2024, has missed 14 video games in two years. When he’s wholesome, he’s extra “average” than he’s good, and he’s solely put up 928 yards and three touchdowns for the reason that draft.De’Zhaun Stribling, the thirty third general decide on this 12 months’s draft, is intriguing. However many additionally referred to as him the largest attain of the draft. Will he make Lynch appear to be a genius or a idiot?
That’s one of many causes that the Evans, Kirk, 33-year-old Kittle and 30-year-old Christian McCaffrey are so necessary. San Francisco’s different returning weapons have been largely disappointing.
The 49ers used their first decide within the draft on receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, however many referred to as it one of many largest reaches in the complete class.
Above all, the Niners need to steer clear of the sheer variety of accidents they appear to accrue yearly. Sadly, given the ages and the histories of a lot of their stars, that looks as if an unlikely state of affairs. Collectively, Mike Evans (12), Trent Williams (8), Christian Kirk (13), Nick Bosa (17), Christian McCaffrey (13), Ricky Pearsall (14), and George Kittle (8) have missed eighty-five video games over the previous two years. That’s not even together with Fred Warner’s 11 video games missed final 12 months.
But even with all their accidents in 2025, the 49ers rebounded by the top of the season to fall one win shy of the primary seed. Kudos to Lynch and Shanahan for making use of the duct tape and developing with nice schemes on each offense and protection, however can they hold doing it if it retains occurring?
Their historical past says sure, however frankly, I don’t suppose so.
As a result of though the 49ers did deal with some wants and herald some new faces, nothing they’ve carried out has fairly gone up the extent of being adequate to beat the Rams.
