Are the 49ers Punting the 2025 Season Before it Starts?

It's hard to say the 49ers honestly expect to go far this year.

They're coming off a 6-11 season. They just let nine starters walk in free agency. They signed no one to replace those players. They have 11 draft picks and they need to hit on seven or eight of them.

Which means the 49ers have a chance to be really good next season. But that chance seems quite low as of now. And they probably know it.

Because even if they were to hit on seven or eight draft picks, those players might not be good until 2026 or 2027. Because young players often take a year or two to develop.

To be fair, the 49ers have one of the easiest schedules on paper in the league this year. So they could find a way to win 10 games even with a mediocre roster. But they also lost five games in their own division last season, so there's no guarantee they'll dominate the teams they'll face in 2025.

In addition, the 49ers are engaged in a lengthy contract negotiation with Brock Purdy that will make him the highest-paid player in franchise history. If recent history is any indicator, this deal won't get done until early September and Purdy will hold out until he gets paid -- that's what Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams did the past two years.

If the 49ers are prepared for Purdy to hold out and miss OTAs, minicamp and training camp, then they're not serious about contending this season.

Letting Purdy hold out would be punting the season before it begins.