6 reasons for optimism about the 49ers going into 2025

The San Francisco 49ers are in an interesting place entering the 2025 season.

They saw a significant roster overhaul in the offseason after a disappointing 6-11 campaign that was defined by injuries to a slew of their star players. A mass exodus in free agency after such a rough year to potentially close a Super Bowl window provides the foundation for pessimism. However, we did a small amount of digging and came up with a bunch of reasons for optimism about the 49ers as they enter a new phase of the Kyle Shanahan era.

1. Health!

Last season was derailed early by some injury woes that cropped up in training camp and never subsided during the year. It wasn't just that the 49ers were having to piece together a roster on the fly, but they lost Christian McCaffrey in training camp and he didn't return until Week 10. Trent Williams dealt with an ankle injury that cost him seven games, and Brandon Aiyuk suffered an ACL tear with additional damage in his knee in Week 7. Those are three key cogs on the 49ers' offense and they were all out of the lineup for half of the season or more. Tack on Dre Greenlaw's Achilles issue, Fred Warner's fractured ankle, and a smattering of other ailments on both sides of the ball and it was a recipe for disaster.

This year after OTAs the 49ers are in a much better place health-wise. Now they just need to make it through training camp.

2. Pass rush upside

Last year the 49ers' pass rush was an amalgamation of veterans with varying levels of production during their careers. San Francisco was hoping to maximize a veteran group with Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave (who suffered a season-ending triceps injury in Week 3). This year they're doing the opposite and it's much easier to view their new-look DL with rose-colored glasses. First-round pick Mykel Williams should help as a run defender right away, but he has a very high ceiling as a pass rusher. Second-round pick Alfred Collins has all the physical tools to be a dominant run-stuffing defensive tackle. Fourth-round pick CJ West has a chance to be a three-down player with his ability to live in the backfield.

San Francisco also added defensive end Bryce Huff in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Huff spent three seasons with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh when Saleh was the head coach of the New York Jets. Those three years culminated in a dominant 2023 season where Huff racked up 10.0 sacks and finished third in the NFL in pass rush win rate according to Pro Football Focus. Huff reaching that level again in the Bay Area would be a massive lift for the 49ers' pass rush.

3. Robert Saleh is back

Speaking of Saleh, he's back on the sidelines as the 49ers' defensive coordinator. In 2023 the 49ers defense had a hard time getting on the same page under the guidance of Steve Wilks. Last year they were dreadful under first-time DC Nick Sorensen. The familiarity with Saleh should be helpful for some 49ers, but his experience should give San Francisco a significant schematic advantage they haven't had since DeMeco Ryans' exit in 2022.

4. Drama-free offseason

Sometimes no news is good news, and the 49ers shouldn't have any contract-related news during training camp. In 2023 it was Nick Bosa's holdout that dominated headlines. Last year Aiyuk and Williams both missed a huge portion of training camp because of contract issues. It's unlikely a coincidence all three players didn't hit the ground running in the regular season after missing so much time.

This year the 49ers got ahead of the contract issues and locked Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Warner into long-term deals before mandatory minicamp started in mid-June. Not dealing with the distraction caused by a holdout should put San Francisco in a better position to come out of the gates fast once the regular season opens.

5. 2021

For those of us into history, the 49ers had a dreadful 2020 season after going to the Super Bowl in 2019. They followed up their rough 2020 campaign with a trip to the NFC championship game in 2021. The situations are different, but it's a very recent example of San Francisco overcoming some adversity in one year to immediately put together a deep playoff run the next.

6. Never tell me the odds, except for right now

Sorry, Han Solo, but BetMGM is dishing out some 49ers optimism. It is important to note that odds are set at a number designed to get equal action across various lines. They're not a direct reflection of a sportsbook's opinion on a team as much as they are a reflection of the betting market.

HOWEVER -- books typically aren't far off with their numbers and that is why they make lots of money. Anyway, to the odds.

The 49ers are the favorite to win the NFC West at +160 (bet $100 to win $160). They're third behind the Eagles and Detroit Lions to win the NFC championship at +850, and second to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC at +650.

San Francisco may not be the odds-on favorite the way they've been recently, but oddsmakers still like their chances to return to NFC contention this season.

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