In the San Francisco 49ers’ locker room, after the resounding defeat against the Seattle Seahawks, the atmosphere oscillated between disbelief and pride for what had been achieved this season. The Seahawks inflicted a 41-6 defeat on the 49ers, the second-largest in playoff history for the team and the most lopsided since Kyle Shanahan took over as coach in 2017. Despite the overwhelming defeat to a divisional rival, the Niners found solace in their overall performance. It’s like a very strange emotional roller coaster. Shanahan and the rest of the team shared McCaffrey’s sentiment. The defeat against Seattle ended an unexpected season for a team that underwent a significant restructuring of the squad during the offseason. Despite injuries to their stars, they achieved 12 regular season wins and defeated the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game. The Niners achieved this, despite relying heavily on first- and second-year players for the first time since the beginning of the Shanahan regime and general manager John Lynch. They believe they are on the right track and that any speculation about the closing of their Super Bowl window is premature. Quarterback Brock Purdy stated that he believes “100 percent” that the 49ers can win the Super Bowl next season, citing existing players, those who will return from injuries, and the performance of younger players.
The 49ers will have a lot to analyze in the coming months. Upon returning to San Francisco, they will prepare for exit meetings and the closing of their lockers. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has more interviews scheduled for the head coach position with the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens, after having spoken with the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has also received interview requests from the Las Vegas Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Saleh were to leave, the 49ers would have to hire their fifth defensive coordinator in as many years.Everyone wrote this team off and said the window closed in ’23 when we lost. When you have young players playing well, playing a lot, I guess that window opens faster. Obviously, you’re going to have your veteran players that you’re going to lean on to guide those guys as well. But with the way this team is run, how it’s coached, how this team plays, that window will always be open. It’s encouraging.
Colton McKivitz
Trent Williams confirmed that he intends to keep playing. Williams was one of the most optimistic players about the team’s future, especially if they can get Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and George Kittle back in full form.I love those two guys, and they are as good coaches as I’ve ever known, and I know that they will both be head coaches, whether it’s in a week or in the next two years. We are lucky to have those guys. And for our sake, I hope we still have them next year.
Kyle Shanahan
The 49ers face a crucial offseason as they look to take the next step in returning to compete for the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy. They will have many needs on the roster, including reinforcing the pass rush, the offensive line, receivers, and the safety position. The Niners will also have to decide what’s next for receiver Brandon Aiyuk. All that work begins immediately, against the backdrop that one of their NFC West rivals, the Seahawks or the Los Angeles Rams, could win the Super Bowl in their stadium in the coming weeks.We had a lot of young players who contributed a lot to our success, and they have a very, very bright future. I’m super proud of this team. Obviously, it didn’t go as we wanted, but the future is very bright.
Trent Williams
We will arrive on Monday and take care of all this and all the players. And then, we will very quickly begin our offseason plan and how to build this team in the best possible way to give us a chance next year.
Kyle Shanahan
