49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan
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Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan are still in town for the 49ers, but Adam Schefter warns the team could struggle in 2025
The 2025 NFL schedule has been officially announced, and the San Francisco 49ers emerged as the team that projects to have the easiest slate of games when they return to action. After enduring a disappointing 2024 season, many folks are expecting the 49ers to put together a bounce back campaign thanks to their schedule. However, NFL insider Adam Schefter warned that that may not be the case.
After suffering a crushing loss in Super Bowl LVIII, the Niners were decimated by injuries in 2024. While they did their best to stay competitive throughout the season, the injury issues proved to be too much to overcome, as they ended up finishing with a 6-11 record and missing the playoffs entirely. The hope was that an easier 2025 schedule would help San Francisco bounce back, but Schefter isn’t sold on that happening right now.
Adam Schefter Acknowledges 49ers Roster Issues
As if their losing 2024 campaign wasn’t bad enough, the offseason hasn’t exactly been great for San Francisco to this point. In preparation of a massive contract extension for Brock Purdy (the two sides agreed to a five-year, $265 million deal on Friday), the 49ers unloaded several key players this offseason. Key players such as Deebo Samuel, Javon Hargrave, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and Charvarius Ward all have found new homes this offseason.
While the front office has also added several new faces, the collective talent of the roster does not look to be anywhere near where it was heading into the 2024 season. There are still a lot of solid players in town, but the defense in particular has been hit hard, which could make things difficult for the 49ers, even though they now have locked up Purdy for the long-term future.
Pretty much nothing went right for the 49ers last season, but things got off on the right foot with their schedule release on Wednesday. Aside from the Los Angeles Rams, who they will face twice, San Fran is only facing two other teams that made the playoffs last year; the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On paper, that should lead to more wins, but Schefter is skeptical that will end up happening.
“This is a team that has got a lot of holes right now,” Schefter said on “The Adam Schefter Show.” “We’ll see how this all shakes out, but they got some holes to address, some needs to fill, and I don’t know that this is going to be a 49ers team that’s quite as good as teams we’ve seen in recent years. They’ve lost a lot of talent.”
49ers Hoping Easy Schedule Aids Bounce Back Campaign in 2025
Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan
GettyBrock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan are still in town for the 49ers, but Adam Schefter warns the team could struggle in 2025
Assuming San Fran does not face the same injury attrition they dealt with in 2024, they should be able to put together at least an above-.500 campaign in 2025. Purdy is under contract for the long-haul now, and the offense is still armed with weapons like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Jauan Jennings.
Given the success this team has enjoyed under head coach Kyle Shanahan’s lead, the natural inclination is to assume they will return to the playoffs with an easy schedule helping them out. And while that could happen, Schefter reminds folks that there’s no guarantee that a bounce back season is on the horizon for the 49ers.