Is the Super Bowl window closing on the San Francisco 49ers? That's a question many have been asking, especially in light of the contract disputes with two All-Pro players, WR Brandon Aiyuk and LT Trent Williams. Certainly, if the 49ers trade Aiyuk, they won't be as good of a team in 2024 as they were with him. And if Williams misses any part of the season, the offense won't be as productive in those games.
But is the window for the 49ers closing? Sure, there are contract disputes, and the roster is aging and becoming increasingly more expensive. Not to mention the massive contract that QB Brock Purdy is likely to receive next offseason. But does that mean the window is closing? Especially when you have GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan who built this talented roster from nothing.
If Lynch and Shanahan can build a star lineup from nothing, shouldn't they be able to rebuild or reload the roster so the championship window doesn't close? Tight end George Kittle certainly thinks so. Kittle, speaking with Tim Kawakami, of The Athletic, addressed whether or not the contract issues are a sign that this era of 49ers football might be coming to an end.
"I get asked that all the time, like, 'You guys, you can't pay everybody; you have a superstar team,'" Kittle told Kawakami. "Talk about a window closing and all that type of stuff. And I'm just, like, all I know is that currently, right now, we have a really good roster. And I'm just gonna try to attack it every single day with the really good roster that I have.
"I remember being told in like 2021 that, 'Hey, if we don't win it this year, the window's closed.' And we've been to three NFC Championship Games since then. So the window hasn't closed. John and Kyle and Jed (York) have done a great job about figuring out a way to, whatever metaphorical window, keep that open."
Kittle certainly has the right frame of mind. There's no need to worry about what the future holds beyond this season. A lot can happen to change the course of a franchise. The 49ers could win the Super Bowl this season. Doing so could compel them to try to bring everyone back for another run. Or it could mean they'll move on from some players.
They could miss the playoffs altogether, which doesn't seem likely as long as they stay healthy. But missing the postseason would have some kind of impact on the team.
What happens with Aiyuk and Williams? That could have an impact on the future. How does Kittle see the potential loss of Aiyuk affecting his team?
"I would definitely say that it would be a significant loss," Kittle said. "(Aiyuk)'s a fantastic wide receiver who does everything that you want. He runs every route tree. He makes huge plays. He gives 100-percent effort in the run game. He leads by example. He brings awesome energy every single day of work. He's everything you want in a football player. So I love having him as a teammate.
"But the one benefit to him not practicing … is a lot of younger guys get all these reps, and they're getting important reps with the 1s and with Brock that they wouldn't be getting otherwise. I'm not going to take probably any rookie over Brandon, I'm not going to do that. But the fact that these young guys get these reps, it's going to put them in a position to succeed if we can't figure stuff out with Brandon."
Kittle is right. The experience the younger players are getting, with Aiyuk (and even Williams) out, is valuable. But it doesn't make the 49ers better in 2024.
How the team looks beyond 2024 remains to be seen. Some believe the championship window is closing on the 49ers. But Kittle is not among those.
