3 immediate moves Kyle Shanahan should make for 49ers to become Super Bowl contenders in 2025

NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals - Source: Imagn
3 immediate moves Kyle Shanahan should make for 49ers to become Super Bowl contenders in 2025 - Source: Imagn

After just barely missing out on winning the championship in February, the San Francisco 49ers were among the presumptive Super Bowl contenders going into the 2024 season. However, the team missed out on postseason football after a bitterly poor 6-11 campaign.

Almost everything went wrong for head coach Kyle Shanahan and the Niners in 2024, but the team mostly had bad luck when it came to injuries. All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL seven games into the season, star running back Christian McCaffrey only played four games because of multiple injuries, and other important players including quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, offensive lineman Trent Williams, defensive end Nick Bosa and CB Charvarius Ward missed games due to injuries.

Now, Shanahan needs to focus on an offseason that could have a significant impact on the Niners' chances of winning the Super Bowl in 2025.

Here, we'll examine three moves the team might make to improve their chances of contending next season.

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Priority moves for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers in the offseason

#1 - Give Brock Purdy an extension

Going into the offseason, the 49ers should prioritize extending quarterback Brock Purdy's contract.

Purdy should still be regarded as the team's franchise quarterback even though he did suffer a slight setback in the 2024 campaign after finishing as an MVP finalist the year before.

Brock Purdy has a 4-2 record in the playoffs and he has also guided San Francisco to two conference championship games and one Super Bowl in only three seasons in the league. These should be enough to earn the 25-year-old signal-caller a new long-term contract.

#2 - Revamp the team's offensive line

Only two members of the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line should be regarded as untouchable: guard Dominick Puni and veteran offensive tackle Trent Williams. The remaining parts of the team's offensive line can undergo a makeover in the 2025 offseason.

As evidenced by Purdy getting pressured on more than 34% of his dropbacks this season—the 10th-highest percentage in the NFL, according to ESPN—the team's offensive line unit clearly displayed deficiencies.

In addition, San Francisco's 2024 running yard average of 127.2 per game is the team's lowest total in four years. The ineffectiveness of the offensive line in the pass block and run block should be held accountable for this, even though Christian McCaffrey’s injuries are also key contributors.

#3 - Utilize the 2025 NFL draft for other roster needs

If the San Francisco 49ers want to be serious Super Bowl contenders next season, they need to address several clear needs on their squad, including their edge rushing department.

The Niners should prioritize bringing in a younger player as they struggled to find a reliable rusher to play with Nick Bosa in 2024.

Edge rushers James Pearce Jr. of Tennessee and Mykel Williams of Georgia are among the players to keep an eye on as the team owns the 11th pick in this year's NFL draft.

49ers Fans! Check out the latest San Francisco 49ers Schedule and dive into the 49ers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.
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