49ers players sound off, admit 2024 season ‘feels weird’

The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in an early-season slump, sitting at 2-3 after dropping three of their last four games. It's not the start that this Super Bowl-aspiring roster envisioned. Part of the problem might be the absence of offensive playmaker Christian McCaffrey, who has yet to suit up this season as he deals with calf and Achilles tendinitis issues.

Despite McCaffrey's absence, Jordan Mason has performed admirably, though a late-game fumble in Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals proved costly. Mason has amassed an impressive 536 rushing yards and three touchdowns on a league-leading 105 carries. He remains on pace to surpass 1,800 rushing yards this season—if he were to continue as the starter.

McCaffrey is expected to return at some point this season, possibly as early as the Super Bowl rematch in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs. For now, he continues his rehab, aiming to work his way back into the lineup.

A team with as much talent as the 49ers shouldn't struggle to put away opponents like the Cardinals. Something feels off this season, and the team hopes to turn things around against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday night. Another loss could be a serious setback.

"This year, for sure, it feels weird," cornerback Charvarius Ward told Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle after Sunday's loss. "It feels real, real weird. I mean, hopefully, it'll turn around, but it's just real peculiar. We've got a lot of talent, and we're losing games we're supposed to win."

Ward, who earned a career-high 84.7 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus last season, has seen that number drop to a career-low 53.4 this season. Opposing quarterbacks are posting a 99.5 passer rating when targeting him, and he's allowing 15.2 yards per reception, his highest mark since 2019.

"I feel like I'm playing some of the worst ball of my career," Warn admitted.

The good news is that the veteran cornerback believes he has identified the issue but was tight-lipped on specifics.

Deommodore Lenoir, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday with a spectacular 61-yard touchdown return from a blocked field goal, also feels the strangeness of the season.

"Yeah, losing to Arizona—it does feel weird," Lenoir told Silver. "In my four years here, we don't do that (often). So, I can agree with that."

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk echoed his teammates' sentiments, saying, "You tell me we block a field goal for a touchdown? We're winning that game. I mean, it's weird. It's not like everything's fine, but it's also not like the world's crumbling."

"Weird" indeed seems to be the theme. For the second time this season, the 49ers let a late lead slip away against a division opponent.

"As a whole, as a team, we've always been an organization and a team that finds ways to win," defensive end Nick Bosa said after losing to the Cardinals. "We're kind of doing the opposite so far. We're finding ways to lose. It doesn't matter how good players are. It doesn't matter how explosive the offense is. If you let teams hang around and not play your best ball later in the game, then you're going to find yourself in these situations."

Still, like Juszczyk, Bosa isn't overreacting. The 49ers have a recent track record of overcoming adversity, as seen last season after a three-game October skid.

"I haven't lost any confidence in the team," Bosa said. "It's early, it's a long year. We've been through worse, and I think we'll respond well."