The reigning NFC Champion 49ers have had a rough season with a 6-7 record, placing them last in their division, the NFC West, as of Dec. 10.
The team, which has had a long history of serious injuries in the past few years, has not been able to stop the trend for the 2024 season. The season has thus far been filled with disappointing one-score games, often due to meltdowns in the second half. While the 49ers have had an extensive injury list, the talent on their roster should still be producing more wins.
A nail-biting preseason saw star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk sit out for a better contract. Those negotiations were settled on Aug. 28, when he signed a four year, $120 million deal, making him the fifth highest paid wide receiver in the league. 49ers fans were relieved at the Aiyuk’s decision to stay with the team after a tumultuous four months of negotiations. Just when the 49ers’ season started trending in the right direction, however, Aiyuk suffered a devastating torn ACL and MCL on Oct. 20 in a Super Bowl rematch vs. the Chiefs, putting him on the shelf for the season.
The 49ers also welcomed back rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall on Oct. 20. He scored his first touchdown for the 49ers’ on Nov. 10. It has been an incredible recovery for Pearsall, who was shot 2 months ago during a robbery attempt in San Francisco, but quickly returned to play.
Also returning for week 10 was receiver Jauan Jennings, who missed 2 games with a hip injury. He led the 49ers with seven catches and 93 yards, including the catch that set up the game winning field goal in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 10. Jennings will have to step up as the second option at the wide receiver position due to Aiyuk’s season-ending injury.
Finally, 49ers kicker Jake Moody — who missed three games with an ankle injury — also returned, though he found little success. He only made 3/6 of his attempted field goals, but redeemed himself by nailing the game-winning field goal as the time expired against Tampa on Nov. 10. The 49ers kicking woes, in addition to their many special teams issues this year, will need to be ironed out, especially for a team that is expecting to make the playoffs.
On Nov. 10, Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers’ superstar running back, returned after missing eight games while recovering from achilles tendonitis. McCaffrey’s long awaited return for the 49ers went well, as he compiled 107 yards from scrimmage in a significantly watered down snap count.
The 49ers had some hope with McCaffrey’s return to the struggling offense, especially with Deebo Samuel struggling to produce, often having boom-or-bust games and not matching his consistency from previous seasons combined with the loss of Aiyuk.
The future was looking bright for the 49ers until their primetime game on Dec. 1, when McCaffrey was slow to get up after slipping in Buffalo, where the field was packed with snow. He then sat out for a few plays and on the following drive, went down once again after losing his footing. Sadly, McCaffrey headed to the locker room and was done for the night, suffering his season ending PCL injury. Later that night, the team announced that star backup running back, Jordan Mason, was also done for the season with a high ankle sprain, leaving fans dejected.
The 49ers are navigating a series of other injuries. They are also missing three key defensive players: Dre Greenlaw (still recovering from an achilles injury he suffered in the Super Bowl), Talanoa Hufanga and Javon Hargrave. Hargrave will miss the rest of the season after tearing his triceps in week 3 against Los Angeles on Sept. 22.
In order to supplement the big loss, the 49ers traded for defensive tackle Khalil Davis at the trade deadline. Greenlaw has been out since tearing his achilles during the Super Bowl last year. He is expected to make a return sometime near the end of the season.
Hufanga tore several ligaments in his wrist in the 49ers’ week 5 loss to the Cardinals on Oct. 5. In his absence, young safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha proved to keep the secondary one of the best in the league. With Hufanga’s return to the lineup this past week, the 49ers shutdown the Bears’ offense allowing a mere total of 162 yards.
For the rest of the season, the 49ers will have to focus on developing and coaching their younger players who may have to step into larger roles, both in offense and defense. The team also needs to focus on winning games in the razor tight NFC West division.
The 6-7 49ers are a huge long shot to make the playoffs. This past week’s triumph over the in a 38-13 write-off against the Chicago Bears with star players Jauan Jennings and George Kittle showing out and filling in has boosted hopes, but the team is far from making the playoffs, something fans have taken for granted in past years.
With a bleak 11% chance of making the playoffs, the season can safely be presumed as over. Looking to next year, the 49ers must focus on keeping players healthy and maintaining depth. Filling in the gaps will be tough, as signing any other elite players is largely improbable, due to the growing salary cap.
This season has exposed the organization’s achilles heel, persevering through injuries. After their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss, the 49ers were unable to find any consistency and lost many games in confusing fashion. The unfortunate season only further proves the fact that the 49ers are not yet built to be consistent Super Bowl contenders. The team requires a significant rebuild which should focus on depth rather than maintaining a roster full of a few superstars.
