Since head coach Kyle Shanahan has taken over in Bay Area, the San Francisco 49ers have enjoyed more than one season of success with multiple NFC Championships and Super Bowl appearances.
The teams have mainly been comprised of accomplished veterans or developed through the draft, then given the chance to succeed. For instance, wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and former 49er Deebo Samuel earned the trust of Shanahan to take the field and perform.
Given that injuries not only decimated San Francisco during the 2020 season, the injury bug bit hard again last year. Both seasons, the 49ers missed the playoffs. And, somewhat ominously, the Niners are being bit hard once more in 2025, and the regular season hasn't even commenced yet.
With another deep draft class from San Francisco that helps both the offense and defense, now further highlighted by the injury woes, Shanahan may have to give in and take a shift in his coaching philosophy.
A break from the norm could do Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers some good
San Francisco had to trust a rookie kicker in 2023 with Jake Moody having a solid season compared to his second-year numbers.
In Moody's first year, the 49ers gave approximately 1,760 snaps to rookies. By Week 8 last season, Shanahan's team had nearly eclipsed that mark with 1,665 rookie snaps.
It's a trend suggesting Shanahan is willing to rely more on rookies than veterans, and that should continue in 2025.
"We've all been around enough to know that yeah, there's some growing pains with rookies, but there's growing pains with everyone," Shanahan told reporters earlier this summer. "You’ve got to understand, though, that rookies are going to struggle harder at first. They aren't going to figure it out right away. You can't just bench them as soon as they make a mistake early. That does take reps."
But Shanahan has historically shied away from relying on younger wide receivers, but the context this season might force him to do otherwise.
Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers' first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, suited up for San Francisco after missing the first few games after recovering from a scary gunshot wound right before his first regular season even began. He earned more targets late in the season as a rookie with injuries to Aiyuk, Samuel and Jauan Jennings piling up.
In a sense, Shanahan had little choice to deploy Pearsall there.
This season, Jordan Watkins is another new rookie. He may see some playing time with Aiyuk still out until at least Week 6, and veteran receiver Demarcus Robinson is suspended for the Niners' first three games.
Even with former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore now in the fray, younger players like Pearsall, Watkins and second-year pro Jacob Cowing may need to shoulder a bigger load, one Shanahan previously would have likely avoided.
In the short term, it might be a headache for the head coach as the younger receivers are still adapting to Shanahan's notoriously complex offense, which tends to be hardest on wideouts.
That said, the long-term benefits are there if the team is patient.
San Francisco would be wise to give more playing time to rookies and second-year players this Saturday in the preseason finale. The 49ers play the Los Angeles Chargers before they take to the road to play division rival, the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.
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