SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As the San Francisco 49ers trudged to the locker room after one other injury- and penalty-plagued loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 16, they bore a placing resemblance to the crew that discovered itself in a deep gap at halftime of final season’s NFC Championship Game towards the Detroit Lions.
For the primary half-hour of the sport, the Lions appeared poised to stake their declare to the NFC crown whereas the Niners appeared headed for an additional postseason disappointment. With their backs towards the wall, these 49ers managed to claw their approach again from a 17-point deficit by rattling off 27 unanswered factors.
Last week, there have been no such solutions. These 49ers dropped to 6-9 — shedding 5 of their final six video games — and have been eradicated from postseason competition for the primary time since 2020.
“It’s simply been not clear soccer throughout the board,” quarterback Brock Purdy stated. “Last couple of years, we performed crew soccer for 4 quarters and I felt like we have been fairly dominant. This 12 months, it is simply been hit and miss.”
The 49ers authored that comeback towards the Lions 337 days in the past. Detroit (13-2) returns to San Francisco on Monday evening (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) aiming for the NFC’s prime seed. And the 49ers, after accidents and a barrage of self-inflicted errors derailed their season, are centered on the larger questions that loom this offseason.
What will a contract extension for Purdy appear like? How a lot will Purdy’s deal alter who stays and who goes? Do the 49ers must say goodbye to a few of their very own and convey in additional recent faces? Or make just a few small tweaks with most of their very own returning? Will Kyle Shanahan shake up his teaching employees?
One approach or one other, change is coming to the 49ers.
“We have been in a position to hold a number of the core pillar guys for a very long time however on the finish of the day, every year, every crew is completely different,” linebacker Fred Warner stated. “The offseason issues will occur nevertheless they will occur.”
IN MARCH AT the league conferences in Orlando, Florida, 49ers proprietor Jed York acknowledged that when Purdy’s time arrives, he might be taken care of with what may find yourself being the most important increase in NFL historical past.
Purdy will turn out to be eligible for a contract extension on Jan. 6. As of now, he’s slated to make $1.1 million in base wage in 2025, the ultimate 12 months of his rookie contract.
Given Purdy’s manufacturing since changing into the starter in December 2022 — after being drafted with the final decide that 12 months — he may fairly demand a deal on the prime of the quarterback market. The Dallas Cowboys‘ Dak Prescott set the market with a four-year, $240 million extension in September.
Since Purdy took over as starter, he ranks fourth within the NFL in QBR (69.3), sixth in passing yards (9,075), first in yards per try (8.9), tied for first in anticipated factors added per drop again (0.21) and seventh in passing touchdowns (61).
In the previous calendar 12 months alone, different comparable quarterbacks corresponding to Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, Green Bay’s Jordan Love, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa and Detroit’s Jared Goff have signed extensions value between $53 million and $55 million yearly with a median of $112.4 million in full ensures.
“The good factor about contracts is once you play at a excessive degree, you may examine your self to different individuals within the league,” tight finish George Kittle stated. “And when different guys are getting paid $50 [million to] $60 million and also you’re a greater quarterback than they’re, [it’s] exhausting to not get that very same sum of money.
“The Niners are going to determine one thing out to be as team-friendly as you presumably can however nonetheless reward him for the issues that he has achieved and the issues that he’ll proceed to do for this group.”
Multiple league sources say either side are aiming to work out a profitable long-term deal this offseason. As issues involving many tens of millions of {dollars} usually are, Purdy’s scenario is difficult.
Although he ranks tenth within the league in QBR (65.6) this season, his numbers have dipped in that class (he led the league at 73.4 in 2023), landing passes (17 from 31), yards per try (8.3 from 9.6) and completion share (65% from 69.4%), amongst different classes.
Purdy continues to battle in inclement climate. In 5 begins with rain or snow at kickoff, he is 2-3 with a 49.7 QBR and 57.4% completion charge. His QBR is 72.0 with a 67.7% completion charge and the 49ers are 25-10 in 35 different begins.
The 49ers may select to pay prime of the market cash to Purdy, whose struggles have coincided with accidents to a few of San Francisco’s finest offensive gamers. Purdy has produced properly past his rookie contract and provided much-needed stability on the place.
There are options. The Niners may let Purdy play out the season and use the tag in the event that they battle to re-sign him after 2025. They may observe the Packers/Love model and signal him to a short-term take care of a large increase to see yet another 12 months of manufacturing earlier than forking over the top-of-the-market contract.
All of which means discovering the precise contract numbers may very well be troublesome for Purdy, who says he has grown in some methods however admits that one thing has been lacking this 12 months.
“I really feel extra snug in who I’m,” Purdy stated, “but in addition, like, I feel I must get higher and get again to enjoying [with] the chip on my shoulder prefer it was my first two years of each recreation, each down making an attempt to show to myself that I’m the man for this crew.”
IF THE 49ERS and Purdy come to an settlement, there might be an unavoidable trickle-down impact on the roster.
The 2024 49ers have 9 gamers rating within the prime 15 in pay at their place, with finish Nick Bosa, operating again Christian McCaffrey, Warner, Kittle, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, left sort out Trent Williams and receiver Brandon Aiyuk within the prime 5. That group accounts for about 31.4% of the crew’s 2024 cap and is slated to rely about 46.5% of the estimated 2025 cap earlier than restructures, releases and/or extensions.
Those prices, mixed with the harm toll and the crew’s struggles, beg the query of whether or not they are going to trim a number of the greater contracts. It’s a course of that began in March once they launched defensive lineman Arik Armstead, who was their longest-tenured Niner, closing in on a decade with the crew. He was let go when the perimeters could not attain an settlement to decrease his $28.53 million wage cap quantity for 2024.
For most of the highest paid gamers, it would not make wage cap sense to maneuver on.
Kittle is an efficient candidate for an extension of his personal coming off one among his finest seasons through which he is third amongst all tight ends in receiving yards (976), second in touchdowns (eight), fourth in receptions (68) and first in yards per reception (14.2). But there are others, particularly receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and defensive sort out Javon Hargrave, who may very well be up for dialogue.
Samuel restructured his contract in September, a transfer that may imply if the Niners traded or launched him earlier than June 1, 2025, they’d have to soak up a $31.55 million lifeless cash hit on the cap. They may transfer on with a post-June 1 designation earlier than his March 23 possibility bonus is due and reduce that quantity to a $10,751,753 cap hit over the following couple of years.
It has been a disappointing season for Samuel, who was one of many crew’s finest gamers persistently all through camp. He was slowed by harm and sickness, posting a profession low in scrimmage yards per recreation (56.1) and yards per contact (8.8) and scoring three touchdowns.
With Aiyuk coming off a severe knee harm, rookie Ricky Pearsall discovering his approach and Jauan Jennings signed by 2025, the Niners may be open to at the very least one other 12 months of Samuel.
“I do not suppose Deebo’s slowed down,” Shanahan stated. “When you construct up a bunch in camp and then you definately miss a number of time in apply, it’s exhausting to keep up that stuff. But certainly not do I feel he is misplaced it or something.”
Like Samuel, Hargrave had a current contract restructure that makes it extra palatable for the Niners to maneuver on. Each crew will get two post-June 1 designations and Hargrave is an much more seemingly candidate as he would rely $8.6 million in lifeless cash in 2025 and $17.485 million in 2026, versus a virtually $25 million in 2025 with out the designation.
Other veterans, corresponding to Juszczyk and middle Jake Brendel is also up for dialogue. Regardless, the Niners have some robust choices to make with loads of guys below contract, not to mention their many free brokers.
SAN FRANCISCO HAS 24 gamers set for restricted or unrestricted free company in March. Among the important thing names: linebacker Dre Greenlaw, cornerback Charvarius Ward and security Talanoa Hufanga.
Greenlaw and Hufanga are priorities, although their markets are troublesome to outline. The 49ers worth them however each have prolonged harm histories.
Since Hufanga turned a full-time starter in 2022, the protection has allowed 16.5 factors per recreation and gone 18-12 in 26 common season video games when each Hufanga and Greenlaw play. When they each do not play, San Francisco is giving up 24.1 factors per recreation and has gone 5-6 in 11 such contests. In principle, that, mixed with positional worth, may depress their markets and make retaining them round extra inexpensive.
“Those are two of the higher gamers I’ve been round, and two of the higher gamers on our crew, and two of the principle causes we have had the success right here we have had,” Shanahan stated. “Hopefully we will do all the pieces we will to work out retaining them right here.”
The writing was on the wall for Ward’s departure when the crew re-signed cornerback Deommodore Lenoir in November. Otherwise, there are some function gamers corresponding to offensive linemen Ben Bartch and Jaylon Moore who may very well be again if the value is correct.
If Greenlaw and Hufanga stick round, the protection may look acquainted in 2025.
“I feel lots of people are going to be like, ‘Get these guys out of right here,'” Bosa stated. “But there’s going to be a number of criticism subsequent 12 months when it seems to be very comparable.”
Change feels extra inevitable on offense. Beyond Purdy’s contract and the receiver scenario, the Niners must put money into the offensive line.
Purdy has been pressured on 34.1% of his drop backs this season, tenth highest within the NFL, and properly past the 31.5% strain charge he noticed in 2023. Williams ought to return at left sort out and the 49ers have one thing in proper guard Dominick Puni. All three of the opposite spots may very well be in play, given their struggles.
Right sort out Colton McKivitz has improved in 2024 however ranks 53rd amongst tackles in go block win charge (84.8%), left guard Aaron Banks is forty sixth in run block win charge (69%) and middle Jake Brendel is final amongst certified facilities in RBWR (62.5%). Banks is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent whereas McKivitz is getting into the ultimate 12 months of his deal and Brendel has two remaining. McKivitz and Brendel don’t have any extra assured cash in both of their contracts.
“We’re just like the crew, we’re not ok,” offensive line coach Chris Foerster stated. “Regardless of what the report finally ends up being on the finish of the season, we may have had a extra productive season this 12 months.”
SHANAHAN’S 49ERS ARE no strangers to teaching employees turnover. Most adjustments have been the results of assistants leaving for higher jobs. Shanahan fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after one season following February’s Super Bowl loss. There may very well be comparable firings this season.
While it could take one thing catastrophic for Shanahan to be teaching anyplace else in 2025, two coordinator jobs might be watched carefully.
After firing Wilks, Shanahan promoted Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator. In his first 12 months on the job, the protection has been strong in some fundamental classes, like yards allowed per recreation (365.7 ranks eighth within the NFL) and passing yards allowed per recreation (183.3, third).
But that group is thirtieth within the league in crimson zone protection, giving up a landing on 65.3% of opponent’s journeys contained in the 20. It additionally ranks twenty fourth in third down protection (41.9%), tied for nineteenth in scoring (23.3 factors/recreation) and tied for seventeenth in takeaways (17).
With former coordinator Robert Saleh obtainable and Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who the Niners needed to pursue for the job final offseason, doubtlessly an possibility, there might be hypothesis about one other coordinator change. Despite that, Shanahan has provided a vote of confidence in Sorensen.
“Nick has achieved an excellent job as a coach,” Shanahan stated. “No one’s proud of our outcomes by any means. I feel he is been thrown into plenty of conditions that I feel will make him higher going ahead.”
The particular groups unit additionally determine to get a protracted look as that section has been a constant catastrophe this 12 months. Whether within the type of seven missed discipline objectives by kicker Jake Moody, penalties, poor protection, profitable fakes or muffed punts, the 49ers have struggled with particular groups errors.
Shanahan has expressed confidence in coordinator Brian Schneider, however the unit ranks final within the NFL in anticipated factors added (minus-38.07 with the following closest crew, Baltimore, at minus-21.81).
With two video games left to play, there’s evaluating to do. Shanahan and the Niners aren’t prepared but to look ahead. But they are going to quickly, and there is not any time to waste if they need 2024 to be a blip on the radar relatively than their new regular.
“You have hope yearly,” Shanahan stated. “You put collectively one of the best crew potential, you go and apply and also you go on the market and also you battle. So that is what we do each single offseason. You determine how one can get one of the best gamers potential by free company and the draft, you attempt to hold your finest gamers as potential, you go to work and also you present up for Week 1.”
