San Francisco 49ers' awful 2024 season should actually help them in a huge way in 2025

It's difficult to be a winning team year in and year out in the NFL.

The 49ers were an example of that in 2024. Injuries played a huge role in San Francisco's struggles, which fortunately is something that is fixable. NFL analyst Aaron Schatz identified some teams that could go from worst-to-first in their divisions in 2025 by using ESPN's Football Power Index, and the 49ers came in at No. 1.

"San Francisco finished the 2024 season ranked ninth in FPI. DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) ratings at FTN didn't have the 49ers quite that high, but they were still 14th despite a losing record. Their DVOA of 6.7% was easily the best ever by an 11-loss team, going all the way back to 1978. The 49ers will return a ton of key players from injuries this season, including running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams. While the Lions' defense dominated headlines because of its injuries in 2024, the 49ers led the NFL in adjusted games lost to injury. That's a clear indicator for improvement in 2025. Finally, the 49ers have the easiest projected schedule in the league, which is why FPI favors them to win the NFC West over the Rams, who are rated higher overall. The NFC South and AFC South make for an easy schedule outside of their division games, while the 49ers also get to play the Giants, Browns and Bears. The Rams have a much harder slate with matchups against the Eagles, Ravens and Lions." --Aaron Schatz

A team's schedule can make a significant difference in their win total. If the 49ers can stay relatively healthy, handle business against teams they're supposed to beat, and finish with a good record within the NFC West, they could very well win the division. Despite having a lot of turnover throughout its roster, S.F. did a nice job of replenishing with young talent during the 2025 NFL Draft.