49ers Studs and Duds: Niners cap terrible season with another embarrassing performance in Arizona

The 49ers’ 2024 season has officially come to an end.

It’s been over for a while — arguably the last two months — so Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals should be a cause for celebration.

Not only is this Niners team done playing football, but they also ensured the best draft pick they could have earned — No. 11 —going into Sunday’s game.

Did we learn much from Sunday’s loss?

Not really.

But, unlike this Niners team, we don’t take weeks off with Studs and Duds. Here are the final winners and losers this season:

STUDS

Jauan Jennings – WR

No one played Sunday’s game better than the 49ers’ wide receiver.

Would it have been a nice little boost to have his first 1,000-yard season? Perhaps.

But you know what’s even better? Catching seven passes and getting in two fights, resulting in an ejection, 25 yards shy of that four-figure mark.

We all know he had a great season. Why press your luck and play out a meaningless game?

Renardo Green – CB

The rookie, who will likely take over as the 49ers’ No. 1 cornerback next season, made two nice pass breakups on Sunday.

Patrick Taylor – RB

Looked great in a game that meant less than nothing. All he needed was a game where both teams wanted to lose!

I joke, but seriously, Taylor looked outstanding as a runner, pass-catcher, and blocker — three things I have not been able to say this season despite solid opportunities.

Ricky Pearsall – WR

A nice 30-yard catch and a strong goal-line slant for a touchdown cap was a strong finish for the rookie wide receiver, who will be counted on in a big way next season, regardless of what happens with Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk.

Chris Conley – WR

Just a rock-solid option. The Niners would be fools to let him walk this offseason as he’s the kind of depth this team lacks at every other position.

DUDS

Fred Warner – LB

I don’t blame the All-Pro linebacker for not being fully engaged on Sunday, but I have to call it as I see it: He was spinning like a top in Arizona. Trey McBride had his way with him one-on-one, and the Cardinals offense relentlessly targeted him.

Warner played through injury all season and picked up something to his hip in the third quarter. No one can question the man’s heart.

But his play on Sunday? Consider it questioned.

I’ll question this, though: Why was he even out there?

Jacob Cowing – WR

Finally given an opportunity to play receiver amid rest, ejection and season-long dejection, Cowing … did not take advantage.

He had his apparently requisite penalty with a third-quarter hold, and he didn’t flash on an orbit-motion reverse that had solid enough blocking. He finished with two catches for 30 yards — fifth-best on the team.

Dee Winters – LB

He is not the solution to replace Dre Greenlaw, if anyone has to replace Dre Greenlaw. After a total dud of a game against the Lions, Winters doubled down with a brutal game in both coverage and against the run in Arizona. Perhaps I was too hard on Fred Warner…

Nick McCloud – DB

He turned in one of the worst games you’ll ever see a professional have, as the Cardinals ran screen passes to their receivers and let them run past McCloud, who looked like he was playing in slow motion.

Tashaun Gipson – S

There was a good reason the Niners could sign Gipson off the street in November. His effort on Michael Carter’s game-winning touchdown was downright comical. He took a route to tackle Carter in the backfield, but the Cardinals’ running back was already outside the edge and stepping into the end zone.

Ji’ayir Brown – S

It will be hard to unsee that terrible tackle attempt on Tony Jones’ superfluous 46-yard touchdown. The fact that he was on the field that late in the game tells you that his days in Santa Clara might be numbered.

Josh Dobbs – QB

Three turnovers? For all the positives we saw from Dobbs on Sunday — and there absolutely were some — it’s hard to ignore how careless he was with the ball. If this is the best that the Niners can do at backup quarterback for 2025, they better hope that Brock Purdy doesn’t miss a single game.

Kyle Shanahan – HC

Was he even calling plays on Sunday? From my perch in Alameda, I don’t think I saw one cut to Shanahan on the headset — a favorite of every director in pro football.

With so much apparent time on his hands, Shanahan would have been able to get an early-game challenge on the field in time. But he didn’t. Add it to the list of game-management transgressions.

Nick Sorensen – DC

I understand the level of talent at Sorensen’s disposal on Sunday was sub-par, but it’s hard to make an argument that he is the man for the future when his defense worsened as the campaign progressed.

Jake Moody – K

It’s over. I don’t think this can all be explained away by a bad holder.