49ers Set for 2026 Offseason Shakeup

The season of the San Francisco 49ers was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. A ride packed with brutal loops, somehow ending in a playoff berth despite the injury carnage. But when it came to the ultimate prize — the Lombardi Trophy — the magic ran out.

Against the Seattle Seahawks, the Super Bowl dream exploded like a fragile soap bubble. And the reason was clear: injuries, one after another, decimating the roster.

Injuries piled up all season, many season-ending, leaving the 49ers in a relentless “next man up” grind every single week. Second- and third-stringers were thrown into the fire under the brightest lights, forced to battle beyond their experience level.

The core veterans now look closer to the finish line than their prime years. According to ESPN, this Offseason is all about bold, franchise-shifting moves. Big swings at premium positions are mandatory to keep the championship window open.

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49ers Should Go On With the Reset

For head coach Kyle Shanahan and his team, 2025 was like a hard reset. They still powered their way to a 12–5 finish, grit over glamour. And they did it while rolling out backup quarterback Mac Jones for multiple crucial stretches. On defense, they absorbed massive blows, losing tone-setters like Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.

Yet through the chaos, San Francisco stayed in the heavyweight fight and went toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks for NFC’s No. 1 seed. But the San Francisco 49ers have to take a long, hard look in the mirror now. Even if it seems like they’re slightly ahead of their reset timeline, the road to a title demands bold, calculated swings.

And that responsibility lands squarely on John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. He has to pull the trigger now — before time runs out and too many aging veterans decide to hang up their cleats for good.

What happens now could rewrite the franchise history. And if Shanahan and Lynch lean into aggression instead of patience, the 2026 Offseason could be flipped on its head.

With roughly $50.3 million in effective cap space, they rank 11th across the league in financial firepower. That breathing room is the product of calculated restructures and the precisely crafted framework of Brock Purdy’s $265 million extension.

The Offseason needs in San Francisco 49ers territory are impossible to ignore. The wide receiver room sits at the very top of the emergency list. It feels increasingly likely that Brandon Aiyuk will leave the Bay Area and Jauan Jennings still hasn’t put pen to paper.

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Big Moves to be Expected

That leaves the offense staring at a dangerously thin depth chart heading into 2026. Ricky Pearsall’s injury history and Demarcus Robinson’s complementary skill set limit the reliable separators around Purdy. The issue only intensifies after George Kittle tore his Achilles in the playoffs.

And even a weapon like Christian McCaffrey can’t carry that workload forever without risking injuries. The 49ers hold an option in McCaffrey’s contract that could let the team part ways with the star this Offseason. Despite this, McCaffrey has made it clear that he wants to end his career with the 49ers.

On defense, the pass rush urgently needs an upgrade. Even with Nick Bosa and Trent Williams returning from ACL injuries, the league-low 20 sacks in 2025 exposed a rotation problem. Meanwhile, the secondary struggled to contain elite division receivers like Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

So how could the 49ers address these glaring issues? One potential answer hides in the shadow of Justin Jefferson from Minnesota. His name: Jordan Addison. Addison could be the missing piece, bringing experience, depth, and playmaking to San Francisco’s receiver room. In 2025, he recorded 42 receptions for 610 yards and three touchdowns.

Addison’s sharp separation and pinpoint accuracy at intermediate routes fit perfectly with Purdy’s timing-based approach. The young receiver could also help stretch the competitive window beyond the aging core of Trent Williams, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey.

A quarterback trade could also reset the 49ers’ position. Mac Jones is far from a typical backup. During Purdy’s injury absence, he delivered steady, efficient play and kept the offense stable in turbulent stretches.

Since Purdy is firmly established as the franchise cornerstone, Jones’ ceiling in San Francisco may never be fully realized. Teams like Minnesota or Pittsburgh, in search of a quarterback, might see him as a bridge starter or competitive insurance. For San Francisco, however, Jones could be flipped from a reliable backup into valuable draft capital.

Now, all eyes turn to the 49ers’ front office. The decisions made this offseason will decide whether San Francisco stays in the championship conversation or watches the Super Bowl window slowly close.

Fabienne Lampe Fabienne Lampe is a German sports journalist, covering the NFL, College Football, NBA, and Formula 1 for Heavy Sports. Lampe has years of experience covering the NFL, especially the Atlanta Falcons as their sole German reporter. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in the NFL, including Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. Lampe also hosts a Formula 1 podcast and works as a play-by-play announcer. More about Fabienne Lampe