McDonald: The 49ers aren’t making sweeping changes after their disastrous 6-11 season
SANTA CLARA — It would have been the wrong thing to say publicly after the most disappointing regular season in franchise history, but it sure sounded like the 49ers aren’t going to be dramatically different in terms of organizational philosophy, scheme and personnel in 2025.
They’re going to run it back with much of the same cast and hope for better luck. Four championship games and two Super Bowls in a five-year span trumps one horrific season. There will be additional rest accorded being a non-playoff team to go along with a No. 11 overall draft pick and a favorable last-place schedule.
Coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch sat before the media Wednesday at their season-ending press conference and fielded a lot of questions for which they’re only beginning to come up with answers about the 2024 faceplant to 6-11.
But if you expected sweeping change, that will have to wait another year if anything like 6-11 happens again.
The 49ers dismissed defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and special teams coordinator Brian Schneider but will promote passing game specialist Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator. With Shanahan still calling the plays.
In a production business, the dismissals of Sorensen and Schneider were justified. As for the offense, it’s not like Shanahan is going to fire himself. He’s the guy running the show and if you know anything about Shanahan, he’s ultra-confident in the way he goes about his business.
We’ll see much of the same defensive schemes when the 49ers hire their fourth coordinator in four years, with the occasional tweak if approved by the head coach. It could be defensive assistant Brandon Staley, but more likely one of a handful of reputable candidates who aren’t in-house.
“I want someone who meshes what I believe in but you have to come up with the best thing possible that fits with our situation right now,” Shanahan said.
Same goes for special teams, where Sorensen is a possibility and has experience in that area.
Left tackle Trent Williams and running back Christian McCaffrey will be back and presumably healthy, Williams after a deep ankle bruise that prematurely ended his season and McCaffrey having recovered from Achilles tendinitis and a PCL strain that didn’t require surgery. Neither cornerstone player needed surgery.
The return date for Brandon Aiyuk (ACL tear) is an open question but they’ll get Year 2 with a full offseason for Ricky Pearsall Jr. to pair with Jauan Jennings. There’s very little chance the 49ers part with George Kittle, the team’s most productive veteran and winner of the Len Eshmont Award for inspirational and courageous play. He may even get his contract extended.
As for speculation about Deebo Samuel heading out of town, Lynch seemed to put that to rest.
“Deebo’s under contract,” Lynch said. “Good player and has done a ton for this organization, and we’re not in the business of letting good players out of here.”
Shanahan said he expected quarterback Brock Purdy to be around as long as he’s coach.
Age and wear-and-tear are a factor with Williams, McCaffrey, Kittle and Samuel, but it could conceivably be a playoff offense.
Shanahan and Lynch seem to think so.
Defensively, centerpieces include edge rusher Nick Bosa, middle linebacker Fred Warner, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and two members of the second who made big impressions in their rookie season — cornerback Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha.
As much as the 49ers would love to have Dre Greenlaw back, if another team comes in with a big offer he’d probably be gone. Same goes for defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who will be allowed to seek his own deal in free agency, including a to the 49ers if the price is right.
As for special teams, there was no mention of place kicker Jake Moody. The 49ers would love to believe the three-week absence with a high ankle sprain to his kicking foot derailed his season, but they’ll be prepared to move on if Moody looks or sounds shaky in the offseason program.
Special teams have never been a big part of the equation under Shanahan anyway, even if Lynch and the head coach tried to push back on a narrative that Shanahan has promoted by conceding he’s only looking for special teams to not lose games rather than win them.
Lynch even stepped in as a lead blocker for a question directed to Shanahan about his indifference to special teams.
“Let me help Kyle there,” Lynch said. “I would tell you, Kyle spends an inordinate amount of time with all phases of our team.”
For his part, Shanahan said, “Special teams is part of football and everything a part of football is extremely important to us.”
For anyone hoping the Shanahan-Lynch tandem has hit its expiration date, the two seem as committed to their partnership as ever and intent on putting things back together with a lot of the same pieces in 2025. This isn’t Terry Donahue-Steve Mariucci or Trent Baalke-Jim Harbaugh. Far from it.
“John got in this for the right intentions, it was to try to put together a team to win a Super Bowl, and that’s what he is committed to,” Shanahan said.
Said Lynch: “We felt alignment when we came in here and that’s only strengthened since we’ve been here. And that’s not always the case. It’s not just blind loyalty and blind trust. It’s earned every year.”
There’s a growing portion of an impatient fan base that is skeptical at the thought of the 49ers running it back without some major reconstruction in their lust for a championship that may never come. Not winning a Super Bowl is forgivable. Being an also-ran is not.
They’ll get over it if the 49ers are back to double-digit wins in 2025. If that doesn’t happen, next year’s season-ending press conference could be preceded with a simple announcement announcing the dismissal of their coach and general manager.