It's crazy to fathom, given the offseason they've had, but there is a case to be made that the 49ers still have a Super Bowl window open in 2025.
Just ask Pro Football Focus. They would tell you that the Super Bowl window is still open for the 49ers entering 2025. They have the 49ers ranked with the seventh-best window in the league.
"Some might argue that San Francisco’s Super Bowl window was abruptly shut in 2024 when the 49ers finished last in their division and missed the playoffs. Brock Purdy’s expected contract extension could also make things more difficult for the franchise when it comes to building the roster.
"While that almost certainly will impact the 49ers' long-term chances, the current roster could still compete for a Super Bowl in 2025. Although left tackle Trent Williams, tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey could all be considered older at their positions, when healthy, they are still among the best in the NFL."
Oddly enough, there is a lot of sense here in this explanation. The 49ers do still have a talented roster. Plenty of teams would love to poach the players off of them.
It just happened in free agency. Health will be one of the top factors as usual, but so will the performance of Brock Purdy.
Much of the 49ers' success will hinge on his ability. Will he be the 2023 version or better? Or will he continue to do too much and make bad decisions like 2024?
A lot of the injuries could've been mitigated if he simply played within himself and didn't make errant decisions. I'd like to think he will he improve upon what he did last season.
That is why I envision the 49ers being a playoff team in 2025. However, in terms of Super Bowl window, I don't think it's that open at all, especially not the seventh-best.
The 49ers will make the playoffs and be a one-and-done. I think that is their fate in 2025, which will still prove a lot of critics wrong.
But let's not forget, this is a team that finished with only six wins last year and blew games in the fourth quarter. Are they going to drastically distance themselves from that in one offseason?
Plus, their defense needs a ton of reinforcement. There is only so much defensive coordinator Robert Saleh can do.
In any case, the 49ers aren't great contenders as PFF says, but they're also not as lowly as critics paint them out to be.
