Injuries changed those plans.
San Francisco's roster was almost unrecognizable after only a handful of games. Added to that, the team spent the last month of the season in Arizona after being forced out of Santa Clara County due to COVID-19 restrictions banning contact sports.
"The second week of the year, we didn't have the same team," head coach Kyle Shanahan said last week. "I think we had a pretty unprecedented amount of injuries by Week 2. And then I thought that was rock-bottom, and it wasn't. It was the starting of about 30 other bad things that kept happening, all the way to getting kicked out of our homes by our county to come out here for a month."
ESPN doesn't believe the 49ers require a significant offseason overhaul, listing the team as "surprisingly comfortable." The roster just needs to get healthy. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch shouldn't overreact to the insurmountable number of injuries the team endured this past season.
Part of that should include strongly considering keeping quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Moving in another direction might set back the team. San Francisco could still plan for the future at the position while keeping its starter.
"Gauge trade interest for oft-injured Jimmy Garoppolo, but ultimately consider reasons to keep him too," wrote Jeremy Fowler. "The 49ers are 24-10 with Garoppolo and 7-25 without him since 2017. Keeping him doesn't preclude San Francisco from drafting a quarterback in the first round and applying pressure on the veteran."
As for the injuries, those are things that need to be looked into. Yes, every team has dealt with injuries, and 2020 has been a strange season. Yet, no NFL team has been as unfortunate as San Francisco when it comes to the health of its players.
"It would be helpful to find out what's causing all these injuries to virtually every position and use that information to prevent them in 2021," adds Fowler. "Keep either (Jason) Verrett or Richard Sherman at corner, but not both; can't afford both, because re-signing linebacker Fred Warner (a 2022 free agent) and left tackle Williams are paramount."
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
For The Win makes the case for the 49ers to sign former first-round QB
Let's start by acknowledging that this scenario is highly unlikely to unfold. While Brock Purdy's status for Sunday's playoff rematch between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers remains uncertain, the team does not appear to view his shoulder injury as a long-term... -
49ers add protection for Brock Purdy in latest ESPN mock draft
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller has unveiled his latest mock draft, projecting each team's potential first-round pick for next year. In this mock, Miller has the San Francisco 49ers selecting at No. 16 overall. However, this placement doesn't necessarily reflect how he expects... -
49ers vs. Bills injury report: 6 players miss Thursday's practice
The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for their Week 13 contest against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The practice on Thursday was closed to the media due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Reporters will regain their usual access to... -
Pelissero provides update on Brock Purdy's injury and 49ers-Packers status
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was limited during Wednesday's practice and refrained from throwing altogether in at least the position of practice that was open to the media. Purdy is dealing with a shoulder injury sustained during Sunday's loss to the Seattle...