The 49ers dreams of playing Super Bowl LX in their home stadium are officially crushed. The team started their playoff run by eliminating the Philadelphia Eagles in a 23-19 upset, propelling the 49ers to the divisional round where they faced their division rivals and the number one seed of the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately for San Francisco they were no match for Seattle’s elite defence as they lost 41-6, breaking the record for the biggest blowout in NFL playoff history.
Although the season ended in disappointment the 49ers should all get a round of applause. Despite their injury-stacked roster the 49ers still managed to boast a 12-5 record thanks to the likes of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who despite losing all-star players like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner still managed to take a group of rookies and backups to the divisional round of the playoffs.
Running back Christian McCaffrey and backup Quarterback Mac Jones also deserve their fair share of praise. Christian McCaffrey, despite being injured most of last season managed to return with a new passion for the game, achieving a total of 2,126 total scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns, easily making him the teams MVP this season. Mac Jones was also a great asset to the team as he stepped up when starting QB Brock Purdy went down with a turf toe injury, winning five games for the team, keeping playoff hopes alive until Brock Purdy returned from injury.
Now that the offseason has officially started for San Francisco, what steps must they take if they hope to stay as a top playoff contender.
- Get healthy
The obvious solution to many of the problems the 49ers have is to get healthy, the last two seasons the team has been riddled with injuries and it’s nothing less than a miracle that the 49ers were able to possess the record that they did this season. If the 49ers are able to find any way to limit the injuries then they must take those steps whether that’s less intense practices, hiring all new strength and conditioning coaches, or even moving the teams practice field away from that electrical substation.
- Spend money, take risks
I know cap space has been an issue with the 49ers in recent years as they’ve had to consistently drop oceans worth of money on players like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Brock Purdy, the list goes on. However, it works— the 49ers have been to countless NFC championship games and two super bowls in recent years, one of the main reasons for that is the all star players we’ve managed to keep over the years despite their high price tags. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots who play in this year’s SuperBowl were both top five in off season spending, showcasing that taking risks and spending money wins championships, and the fact that the 49ers themselves have been close to the SuperBowl so many times in recent memory proves that.
- Get a good defensive coordinator
With Robert Saleh now gone, the 49ers have hired a new defensive coordinator, Raheem Morris. With many of the team’s players getting older and the NFC West becoming more competitive, they can not waste any more time on mediocre coaches. Thankfully the 49ers have hired Raheem Morris, the former defensive coordinator who helped the Los Angeles Rams win a Lombardi trophy of their own. There also seems to already be some chemistry between head coach Kyle Shanahan and Raheem Morris as they were both formally assistant coaches on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2005. (They even got arrested together at the NFL combine.) Hopefully, with his proven track record and his chemistry with Kyle Shanahan, Raheem Morris will be able to help the 49ers win a SuperBowl of their own.
So if the 49ers can get healthy, take bigger risks, and if Raheem Morris can come out swinging then they are sure to be at the top of the NFC once again.