49ers Projected to have Top-10 Offense in the NFL this Year

The 49ers lost nine starting players this offseason, but their offense is mostly intact.

They traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, but the 49ers should be better without him. And they let Aaron Banks sign with the Packers and Jaylon Moore sign with the Chiefs, but they still have nine starters on offense returning from last season when they ranked fourth in yards out of 32 teams.

That's a big reason Pro Football Network projects the 49ers to have the ninth-best offense in the league this year, according to their advanced metrics.

"The San Francisco 49ers were the league’s best offense in this metric back in 2023, but injuries derailed some of what they wanted to do in 2024," writes PFN's Kyle Soppe. "Gone is Deebo Samuel Sr., but this remains a Kyle Shanahan-led offense with plenty of depth and now a well-compensated quarterback who may take on more responsibilities when it comes to winning ball games as opposed to not losing them.

"Don’t sleep on San Francisco after a down year."

Soppe is correct that Purdy will have to win more close games for the 49ers next season because they don't have the roster to blow teams out consistently anymore. And the 49ers lost almost all of their close games last season.

That's because Purdy historically hasn't played well in close games. Here are his career regular-season numbers in the fourth quarter when the game is within seven points: 59.4 completion percentage, 4 touchdown passes, 7 interceptions, 70.9 passer rating. Not clutch.

That has to change this year.