John Lynch: 49ers' expectations remain high, but youth movement may bring early lumps

The San Francisco 49ers are aiming for a stronger 2025 campaign after a disappointing 6-11 finish last season that left them out of the playoffs. Despite undergoing a significant roster overhaul, primarily driven by the financial planning necessary to make quarterback Brock Purdy one of the NFL's highest-paid players, expectations inside the building remain as high as ever.

General manager John Lynch recently spoke with NBC Sports Bay Area, sending a clear message that the team's competitive mindset remains unchanged.

"Well, what I know is at the end of each season, there's one happy team," Lynch said. "So I think, ultimately, that's what will define it. Are we the team—the last team standing?"

Tight end George Kittle echoed that sentiment during a recent interview, emphasizing that despite key departures, the 49ers are not backing down from their goals.

"I would say we have pretty lofty expectations," Kittle said during an interview with CBS Sports HQ. "We always do. We understand that we lost some really key players. I'm aware of that ... But I feel like, in the way we signed guys in free agency, the way that we drafted, we targeted those holes that we lost.

"I'm not going to say we're going to replace All-Pro players, Pro Bowl players immediately, but I think we drafted really, really well."

The 49ers shifted toward a younger roster this offseason, bringing in 11 new draft picks to replace veteran contributors. While that youth movement could bring growing pains early in the season, Lynch is optimistic about the long-term upside.

"We'll be a younger team, and I know, oftentimes with that, it's a young man's game," Lynch said, "but you're probably going to take some lumps and it's going to take some time. You're going to have to make some mistakes. That's no excuse. It's just a reality.

"I think we will have some young players playing, provided they earn those opportunities, but I think what's exciting with those guys, when they do get their opportunities ... once they've kind of gone through those lumps, you're gonna really start to improve and see great improvement."

Additionally, Lynch believes the team's established talent will help bridge the gap.

"And we have such a good core of players, of special players, really special players, and that's exciting," Lynch said. "So, to complement that with some young players, with the last couple of draft classes, it's an exciting mix. It's all got to come together, but I like where we're at. I like the way we're working."