Are the 49ers declining? Responding to narratives that say San Francisco is finished

It's been an up-and-down offseason for the San Francisco 49ers. After a disappointing 6-11 season in 2024, they started the off-season off on a high note by bringing back defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Then they added special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. But after losing several players to free agency, while not making many moves of their own, many started to count out the 49ers.

Even after a potentially productive draft, in which they selected 11 players, some in the national media are signaling the decline of the 49ers. And that's without giving this draft class time to make an impact.

Colin Cowherd, of Fox Sports, said last week, "I have been a skeptic on the last couple of drafts for the San Francisco 49ers. I had said this, they're getting old and expensive. I don't like their offensive line. I thought this year's draft was a lot of hit and miss, with 11 picks—four or five, I like. Five or six, I didn't. But they have the easiest NFL schedule—I'm not joking, since the 2015 Atlanta Falcons. And it's based on two metrics.

"Number one is last year's results. So they're playing a lot of teams that were bad last year. And the second metric is a lot of teams that are projected to be lousy this year. So on two different metrics, they've got the easiest schedule."

Of course, the 49ers can only play who the NFL sets them up to play. It's not that they chose to play the worst schedule. Cowherd failed to mention that last year the 49ers had a very difficult schedule, with a negative 22-game rest disadvantage. And on top of that, they lost more Pro Bowlers and All-Pros to injured reserve than any team in the league. But Cowherd wasn't finished.

"Now I will say this, if you gave Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Matt Stafford, Josh Allen this schedule, it is 13 to 14 wins," Cowherd said." This is an affront to competitive football."

Again, why is he so upset (other than the fact that he's a fan of the Seattle Seahawks and he hates the 49ers)? The 49ers have had one of the toughest schedules for years, and they have had one of the worst negative rest advantages for the past few seasons. They deserve a break.

Then Cowherd went after Brock Purdy.

"And I don't wanna hear $55 million Brock Purdy," Cowherd added. "I don't wanna hear any excuses, or I don't wanna hear any pom-poms when he wins 10 games with this mess of a schedule. Not only is this schedule littered with mediocrity, they don't face a single team off a bye. Outside of Matt Stafford twice and C.J. Stroud once, they don't face what people view as an elite quarterback. In fact, it's rookie quarterbacks, it's quarterbacks without 20 total starts. So I'm done with the Brock Purdy excuses."

Interestingly, Cowherd says he doesn't want to hear any excuses if the 49ers struggle, or good things if they win 10 games, because it wasn't too long ago that he declared they would finish last in the NFC West. So which is it? Also, Cowherd forgot to mention that the 49ers faced more teams coming off a bye than any other team in 2024.

James Jones, a former NFL player and current analyst for FS1, doesn't even think the 49ers will win nine games in 2025, despite the easy schedule.

"It's not happening for the Niners this year," Jones said. "The Niners fans be on me saying I'm a hater, and you know what, I'm done with that. They are going under. I think they are going to be, I wouldn't say a bad football team, because I respect Kyle Shanahan and what they do, but I don't see how they get to nine."

Jones doesn't believe the 49ers will be a bad team, but he believes they won't win nine games, with the easiest schedule in football. If you can't win nine games with the easiest schedule in the NFL, doesn't that mean you're a bad team? These experts try so hard to put down the 49ers that they consistently contradict themselves.

Many others are predicting a continued slide for the 49ers, but I won't put you through reading all of that. Instead, let me give you five quick reasons the 49ers will bounce back in 2025:

1. The return of some key offensive stars.

Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams will be returning to the starting lineup, and eventually, Brandon Aiyuk will join them. That should make the 49ers better, even though the team did not address the offensive tackle position in the draft. If they can stay relatively healthy on offense, the 49ers should run the ball better than they did a year ago, making the passing game more productive, as well.

2. Two new coordinators

Saleh is replacing one of the worst defensive coordinators in team history. Boyer is taking over a unit that has been bad for years. Special teams should be improved, due in part to Boyer's arrival and more emphasis placed on finding good special-teams players. Saleh is who he is. And that's a star at defensive coordinator. The 49ers' defense got better just by having Saleh walk back into the facility.

3. A revamped defensive line

The 49ers were horrid against the run in 2024. But the draft last month showed a greater emphasis on stopping the run. The 49ers selected run-stuffers like Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, Nick Martin, and C.J. West. Even CB Upton Stout is someone who may help the run defense. If teams can't run all over the 49ers, the defense will be much improved.

4. Losing players from a 6-11 team

I realize that the 49ers lost some players like Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, but they also lost a handful of players who played their part in a 6-11 record. Is it bad to lose players like De'Vondre Campbell?

5. A more focused team

By all accounts, players and coaches are more focused this offseason. There aren't any contract issues and hold-ins distracting the team and hurting chemistry right now. Player attendance has reportedly been very strong so far in the offseason. We all know that championships are won in the offseason, so this is good news for the 49ers.

The schedule is indeed easier for San Francisco in 2025. And the 49ers should be healthier and better prepared to take advantage of it. If you ask me, it's too early to declare the end of Shanahan's 49ers. Let's see how it plays out.