The 49ers’ decision to stand pat at last year’s trade deadline made sense in the moment, even if it frustrated fans who wanted a bigger swing. After a 6-2 start, John Lynch and company had chances to chase help, with Trey Hendrickson, Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips all in the mix as possible targets. Phillips eventually landed with the Eagles, who chose to beef up their pass rush before the deadline.
San Francisco, though, held its ground. In hindsight, that was the right call.
The roster was too battered to justify going all in, with Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Mykel Williams already sidelined and more injuries piling up as the season wore on. Even so, the 49ers managed to patch things together and somehow pushed their way into the divisional round.
That’s why the conversation around this year feels different.
Through the first two weeks of the 2025 season, the 49ers have looked like a real Super Bowl contender. It’s still early, of course, and there’s a long way to go before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. The biggest question is whether they can keep this level of play while staying healthy enough to justify a bold move.
So far, the picture has been encouraging. Outside of Ricky Pearsall, whose impact has been inconsistent, most of the core has stayed on the field. There have been some injuries here and there, but nothing close to the wave that wrecked last season.
If that continues, the front office may have no choice but to act.
This is also an older roster in a few key spots. Trent Williams is 38, George Kittle is 32, Mike Evans is 33, Christian McCaffrey is 30 and Deebo Samuel is 30. On defense, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw are among the veteran pillars.
That age matters, especially if the 49ers are still playing like contenders when November arrives. In that case, the plan shouldn’t be about survival anymore. It should be about pushing harder.
The 49ers could look to add to the defensive line, make a move at receiver if the injuries keep building there, or even bring in a veteran safety to help the secondary. Last year, patience was the smart play because the team was simply trying to hold together through an absurd stretch of injuries.
This season could demand something else entirely. If San Francisco is still healthy and still rolling by the deadline, staying put probably won’t be enough.
In Other News...
49ers Week 3 WR Situation Just Got More Complicated For Cardinals
The 49ers wide receiver picture has been moving in the wrong direction this week, but there is at least one important break in the noise. Mike Evans is dealing with a hip issue and did not practice recently, yet the expectation is that he has a good chance to get on the field in Week 3 and be active for the game. For San Francisco, that matters because Evans has become the primary target in a receiver group that is already stretched thin by injuries.
Ian Rapoports update keeps the door open for a key part of the 49ers offensive plan to stay intact against the Cardinals. Even with the injury concern hanging over him, the outlook around Evans is notably better than it first looked, and that gives San Francisco some stability at a position where it badly needs it. The bigger question now is how much the rest of the receiver room can recover around him before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Are Getting Early Contender Buzz For A Reason
The 49ers have opened the season with a pair of wins over the Rams and Dolphins, and the early national chatter around them has been loud for a reason. Brock Purdy has looked sharp enough to keep the offense on schedule, while the roster around him continues to give San Francisco the kind of balance that tends to travel well once the schedule gets tougher.
Even with injuries already part of the backdrop, the team has stayed in the conversation near the top of several power rankings, which says plenty about how complete it has looked through two games. Christian McCaffreys touchdown milestones have added to the momentum, and rookie Kaelon Black has also drawn notice for his early contributions, giving the 49ers more than one reason to believe the buzz is real. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Purdy Is Sharpening The Trait 49ers Need Most
Brock Purdys fifth training camp has given the 49ers plenty of evidence that hes still moving in the right direction, and Kyle Shanahan has made clear he likes what hes seeing from the quarterbacks mentality. Purdy has said his focus has been on making better decisions and staying ahead of the chains, which is the sort of steadying trait San Francisco needs from the position as it tries to keep its offense on schedule.
After two games, Purdys efficiency has shown up in the numbers, with a completion rate of 80.4 percent to go with five touchdown passes, a rushing score and one interception. The bigger question for the 49ers is how far that decision-making can carry once defenses keep forcing him to solve tighter windows and more stressful situations, because the early returns suggest the improvement is real even if the full test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]