For the second time in four years, the San Francisco 49ers’ hopes of winning a Super Bowl were dashed by the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite holding a double-digit lead, the 49ers were unable to hold on in Super Bowl 58, losing 25-22 in overtime.
It is a tough pill for head coach Kyle Shanahan to swallow, as he has now been involved in three Super Bowls and watched his team blow a double-digit lead in all of them. In each instance, a big reason for the losses was the play-calling Shanahan went with.
There was a stretch in each loss that he got away from the running game, opting instead to continue throwing the ball. Each time it came back to bite him. That is one area Shanaha needs to evaluate heading into the 2024 season, but some personnel changes could also help.
There aren’t many weaknesses when taking a look at the 49ers roster. They are loaded with All-Pros and Pro Bowles on both sides of the ball as one of the most talented and deep teams in the NFL.
But, if you were going to pinpoint a potential weakness, it could be along the offensive line. San Francisco at times failed to consistently win when in pass protection, leading to some sloppy sequences.
That is a major reason why Matt Bowen of ESPN has linked them to Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt. In Bowen’s opinion, the best team fit for Hunt in free agency this offseason would be San Francisco.
“The 49ers can upgrade at the right guard position with Hunt, who in Miami showed he has the ability to win in pass protection and the skill set to block in multiple run schemes. That’s a fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense, which needs help on the offensive line; San Francisco was 20th in pass block win rate last season (55.6%),” wrote Bowen.
There could be a need at guard for the 49ers this offseason with Jon Feliciano and Ben Bartch both hitting free agency. While both players are listed as left guards, depth on the interior of their offensive line overall could need to be addressed.
Hunt would certainly suffice as he was the No. 6 ranked guard in overall grade over at PFF in 2023. Feliciano was No. 5, so if they cannot retain him, Hunt makes for a solid replacement.
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