The San Francisco 49ers are now in offseason mode after their disappointing loss to the Seattle Seahawks over the weekend. It was a tough finish to an otherwise impressive year for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co., as the 49ers navigated through a number of crushing injuries to still win 13 games, including a road playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, they’ll look to reset and improve the team for a bigger push in 2026, with several areas of need in the offseason. What are the biggest ones?
Wide Receiver
With Brandon Aiyuk not playing for the 49ers in 2025, the team was depleted at wide receiver, and the struggles were seen on the field.
The 49ers did get some big games from veterans like Demarcus Robinson and Kendrick Bourne, but there just wasn’t enough from the current wide receiver group, with 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall struggling with injuries once again.
Separation remained an issue for the 49ers, as did speed, as San Francisco didn’t really have that deep threat that opened the offense up. Jauan Jennings is a free agent and could command a hefty salary on a multi-year deal on the open market. Even if he returns, there’s a need for wide receivers in 2025.
I expect the 49ers to look at options in the draft, but also potentially sign a proven outside weapon in free agency that can lift the floor of the group in 2026 for Brock Purdy (say, Alec Pierce or Rashid Shaheed?).
Secondary
The 49ers have drafted quite a few players in the secondary over the past few years, but that unit disappointed in 2025.
Now, third-round rookie Upton Stout proved to be a big difference-maker and was one of the top defensive rookies in the NFL this season. He’s a big-time keeper.
Deommodore Lenoir saw some ups and downs, but he’s also getting paid a hefty salary, and the 49ers need him to be more like a CB1 rather than an inconsistent player on the boundary. Renardo Green was also inconsistent and dealt with injury issues, so it’ll be interesting to see if the 49ers want to upgrade that group in the offseason or look to bank on another year of development.
The bigger area of concern is safety. Rookie Marques Sigle had some big moments in the run game, attacking downhill well with solid vision to make plays. But he also had his fair share of missed tackles and struggled a bit in coverage at times this year. All of the other options at safety were very inconsistent this season as well.
This is a room that also might benefit from more speed. The 49ers haven’t invested much money into this room in the past, but they’ve invested quite a bit of draft capital in the room and now have some decisions to make.
Offensive Line
Trent Williams is on an expiring contract, but he recently shared he expects to play in 2026, so I’d think the 49ers look to re-up him on a one or two-year deal after a strong 2025.
But Spencer Burford is a free agent at left guard. Dominick Puni also saw his fair share of ups and downs this season while also battling injuries, and that spot may not be a guarantee for him come the spring. Center and right tackle should be locked in, but the 49ers could look for upgrades/replacements at either guard spot in free agency or the draft.
There are other needs on the roster, but the possibility of two new starters along the offensive line makes this room a priority as well this offseason.
