The San Francisco 49ers are in no rush to change course this offseason. According to team owner Jed York, head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will both remain in place going forward despite the 49ers' disappointing 2024 season.
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will be back with the San Francisco 49ers next year after a disappointing 2024 season, according to team owner Jed York.https://t.co/q6vhPLApYh
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 31, 2024
The 49ers stumbled back to earth this year following a promising 2023 season that included a narrow overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. Much of that can be attributed to injuries: 2023 AP Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey played a mere four games due to a variety of lower body issues, 2023 leading receiver Brandon Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL after only seven appearances, and All-Pros Trent Williams and Nick Bosa also missed multiple games with their own ailments.
That being said, attributing all the 49ers' woes this year to injuries wouldn't paint a full picture. Even when healthy, several of their key players showed signs of alarming regression. McCaffrey averaged a mere 4.0 yards per rushing attempt in his four appearances after gashing the league for 5.4 in 2023, and Aiyuk dropped from 12.3 yards per target last season to 8.0 this year.
The 49ers dominated the NFL with a colossal 28.9 points per game and a league-best 8.4 net yards per passing attempt in 2023, and they still have abundant talent. Wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings have both proven more than capable, and George Kittle remains one of the league's best tight ends. Their run game has even thrived this season despite McCaffrey's struggles, averaging 126.6 rushing yards per game at an excellent 4.7 yards per attempt. If McCaffrey and Aiyuk improve even a little in 2025, the 49ers should be one of the league's best offenses.
Talent acquisition and development have not been issues under Shanahan and Lynch, but consistency has been. They've had as many winning seasons as losing ones in their eight years, and they sport a mere .534 winning percentage despite four conference championship game appearances and two Super Bowl berths. They've been a boom-or-bust operation.
If the 49ers are ever going to get over the top and finally take home the Lombardi Trophy, Shanahan and Lynch will need to steady the ship. Patience wears thin quickly in the NFL. Another bad season could very well mean sweeping changes in San Francisco.
Photo Credit: © Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
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