Evaluating the Early Returns of the 49ers Offseason
“Control your Controlables”
In the midst of the injury riddled August and September for the 49ers, it can be easy to lose track of just how much has been going right for the franchise in the big picture. My mom worked at Chevron for nearly four decades, I was subjected to unsolicited business advice often growing up. One of her go to’s was to “control your controllables”. Tabling for a moment the degree of culpability the franchise may or may not have in injuries, they’re primarily a result of bad luck. We’re about a third of the way through the 2025 season, there’s a large enough 49ers sample size to take a look at the early returns of the offseason. They’re pretty damn good.
The Front Office
Beginning at the top, the success of the Franchise throughout the 2020’s has led to the front office frequently getting poached. Most notably Adam Peters departing to build the NFC championship appearing Washington Commanders roster in 2024. A series of internal promotions were then made. The highest ranking of which were two new assistant GM’s in RJ Gillen (scouting) and Brian Hampton (finance). As well as promoting from within Tariq Ahmed to VP of player personnel. He is a longstanding 49ers employee, predating Shanahan and Lynch.
Peters took with him a swath of his preferred guys to the new organization, as any departing executive does. Having a stable of well developed assets ready to perform the way they did in the 2025 off season is a major credit to the 49ers culture and aptitude upstairs. All the following decisions came as a result of this new look outfit.
The Coaching Staff
Let’s not bury the lede here. Signing Robert Saleh after his Jets tenure ended was as big of a coordinator move as you will see in the NFL. The 49ers were vanilla, situationally terrible, and honestly borderline unwatchable in 2024. Until the levy finally broke with the Fred Warner injury, the defensive unit was flirting with top 10 production.
Credit as well to former head coach Gus Bradley, who was brought in as an assistant head coach and assistant defensive coordinator. Both Saleh and Bradley are wealthy. Not just wealthy, generationally wealthy. These are guys who do not have to work if they are not properly incentivized, and we’ll never know the exact figure as coordinator salaries are not publicly available.
Talking heads like John Middlekauff have speculated that Saleh must be among the five highest paid coordinators in the league on either side of the ball. Jed York broke out the checkbook for this defensive coaching staff. You get what you pay for.
Free Agency
Sometimes it’s as much about the moves you don’t get done as the ones you do. Dre Greenlaw is currently on IR, he has not taken a snap for the Broncos this year. Talanoa Hufunga and Deebo Samuel are playing well, but they were strictly cap casualties. Most of the free agent class was signed for cheaper veteran depth. Guys like Jason Pinnock, Luke Gifford, and Demarcus Robinson. It’s worth also mentioning 2023 practice squad addition Jake Tonges. He’s been an exciting and competent fill-in for an injured George Kittle. Just over the last three weeks he has produced 16 receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
As far as free agency goes, there have been three bangers. Firstly, quickly becoming a Niners Nation folk hero, kicker Eddie Pineiro. Moving on from a third round pick kicker is a strenuous process on the coaching staff and front office. It had to be done. In his place they signed Pineiro off the street. One of the more accurate kickers of the current generation, Eddie has hit 15/15 of his field goals, including a career long 59-yarder last week. He’s also been 8 of 9 on his extra points. There is no 4-2 start without his leg.
Then there’s Kendrick Bourne, whose signing yielded 23 receptions for 371 yards. He’s pacing for well over 1,000 in 17 games after coming into week 1 of 2025 unsigned.
As for the guy throwing him the ball, he constitutes one of the biggest free agent additions in the league, if not the biggest. QB Mac Jones. A second John Middlekauff reference for the day (for my money, he’s the best NFL commentator at the moment), “if your backup wins one game he’s worth the money, if he wins two he’s underpaid, if he wins more than that he’s invaluable”. If your backup leads the NFL in passing yards per game on his way to a 3-1 record, he should get a little statue of himself in the corner of Kyle’s home office.
In Purdy’s absence, Jones has posted a league leading 313 YPG, while attempting 42 passes per. His total stats for 2025 are a notable 67.3 competition percentage for 1,252 yards, with six touchdowns to three interceptions. The decision to sign a player that looks decidedly like the NFL’s best backup QB for $7M over two years salvaged any chance Niners fans had at a watchable start to the season. He’s been doing this without Aiyuk, Kittle, Pearsall, or any even semi proficient run game.
They absolutely smashed free agency, despite the limited budget.
The Rookies
The myopic detailing of the rookie class to this point is really an article in and of itself, but for the sake of brevity we’ll paint with a broad brush here. Through Week 6 the 49ers have one of the highest rookie snap rates of any roster. Mostly defensive and special teams snaps. On offense seventh round guard Conner Colby has been a mixed bag, more consistent on run than pass. But he’s given them starter reps from the seventh round nonetheless. Marquis Sigle has taken the majority of plays at safety thus far too. His coverage leaves much to be desired but his work in the run game is solid. Upton Stout, 60% of snaps taken, has been panned in his PFF grading. He does flash from time to time though, especially with his blitzing.
Mykel Williams has played 69% of the snaps and currently draws the second highest double team rate in the league, behind only Myles Garret. Alfred Collins, 41% of the reps taken, made the second most impactful play of the 2025 season when he dislodged a would-be touchdown from Kyren Williams on the 1 yard line vs the Rams.
CJ West, even with the defensive line injuries has only managed to see 20% of the snaps but hasn’t looked bad when he’s been out there. And so far Nick Martin has been relegated to kick coverage, but that is up for change following the Fred Warner injury. All in all, this is instantly impactful of a rookie class as the Niners have had in the Shanahan era.
This team had achieved 4-2 through a top down effort. Beginning with a well coordinated series of personnel department promotions. The new look front office then had the foresight to spend up for premium coaching. The coaching has compensated for their budget constraints by getting the most out of a load of rookies and free agents seeing major playing time. Most of which they hit on through competent player evaluation. Top to bottom this season has been a testament to franchise synchronicity, and has served to lay a franchise foundation for years to come.