Why the 49ers should be back in the Super Bowl mix in 2025

NFL training camps bring renewed optimism across the league, including for the San Francisco 49ers despite their disappointing 6-11 record in 2024. While national media expresses skepticism due to the loss of key players and an aging core roster, the team itself believes it can bounce back and compete for a sixth Super Bowl.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox highlights reasons for optimism for every NFL team, suggesting the 49ers could gear up for another Super Bowl run. He attributes their 2024 decline significantly to injuries to stars like Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, and Trent Williams, but also points to fatigue as a major factor. Playing deep into the playoffs in both 2022 (reaching the NFC Championship) and 2023 (losing the Super Bowl in overtime to the Chiefs) meant the team played roughly two-and-a-half seasons' worth of games over those two years. Players admitted to exhaustion and emotional toll from the Super Bowl loss, especially those who also lost the 2019 Super Bowl to the Chiefs.

Knox notes that the 2025 offseason has provided crucial time for the 49ers to get healthy and rest. Key players like McCaffrey and Williams should be ready for the season start. Furthermore, the team focused on defense in the draft (their first five selections were defenders), aiming to replenish a unit that ranked 29th in points allowed last season.

A critical move was bringing back former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Saleh, returning after his stint as New York Jets head coach, is seen as a significant upgrade over Nick Sorensen. Saleh brings unmatched enthusiasm, intensity, greater coaching experience, and new defensive schemes. His return alone is expected to improve a defense whose most glaring 2024 weakness was run defense. Combined with the influx of younger, faster defensive talent through the draft, the 49ers anticipate a hungrier and improved defense in 2025.

While the offense faces challenges, particularly with Brandon Aiyuk (torn ACL, MCL) likely missing regular-season time, the core remains strong. Knox concludes that if the rest of the offense stays healthy while the defense rebounds, the 49ers should be back in Super Bowl contention. He points to the team's history of bouncing back, specifically referencing how they followed an injury-plagued 6-10 season in 2020 with an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2021, suggesting they can do it again.