The 49ers are heading into 2026 with a lot of moving parts on offense, and a few of the biggest questions are already easy to spot before the first snap.
Start at quarterback, where Brock Purdy’s health and play will shape everything. If he’s right and playing well, and second-year quarterback Kurtis Rourke also looks good in practice, Mac Jones suddenly becomes a name to watch.
Jones is a free agent after the year, so if another team comes calling with a strong offer, San Francisco will have to at least listen. And if injuries hit, Jones could be the one who ends up somewhere else.
There’s also a real question at running back behind the starter. The 49ers are expected to need more from their backup in 2026 than they did in 2025, but Jordan James and Kaelon Black haven’t exactly forced the issue.
The team drafted them in back-to-back seasons, yet neither did enough in the preseason to show they should be trusted with 100 carries or more over the full year. The immediate question is simple: who wins the job, and how much work do they get in Week 1 - five carries, 10, something in between?
Wide receiver brings its own uncertainty. Mike Evans should be the No. 1 option, though injuries have been a recurring problem over the last two years.
Deebo Samuel is expected to slot in behind him as the No. 2, even though he was signed in training camp. Demarcus Robinson looks like the No. 3 receiver to open the season, but rookie De’Zhaun Stribling is already making a push for that spot.
Jordan Watkins also turned in a strong training camp, which raises another question: who is still climbing by the end of the year?
Then there’s George Kittle, and the concerns there are about more than just one injury. He is coming back from an Achilles injury, but he also dealt with a serious leg injury that cost him part of the season before that. At 32 and coming off multiple injuries, he’s expected to be healthy, yet it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll look like the same player when the season opens or whether those injuries have taken some of the burst out of his game.
The final big question sits up front at right guard, where Carver Willis ended up winning the job more by circumstance than by overpowering competition. Connor Colby moved to right guard, Robert Jones was cut, and the fourth-round rookie was left as the Week 1 starter. Now comes the real test: does he end up being a weekly problem for the offense, or does he settle in and grow into the role, possibly becoming the clear starter again in 2027?
In Other News...
49ers Land In Melbourne With Roster Questions Still Looming
The 49ers touched down in Melbourne this week with the focus shifting from travel to survival mode for a Week 1 meeting with the Rams. Even before the first full practice on Australian soil, the roster picture remained clouded by injuries and a few spots that still need sorting out, leaving the team with a familiar early-season balancing act: stay patient, but keep enough depth in mind if the room gets thinner.
For now, San Francisco is not expected to jump into the free-agent market right away, though a few familiar names sit in the background as possible insurance. Jeff Okudah, Leonard Floyd and Laken Tomlinson all have ties that could make sense if the 49ers decide they need veteran help, whether because of current injury concerns or just the need to shore up certain positions before the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Depth Battle Could Create New Trade Chips Fast
The 49ers have already trimmed to their final roster, but that does not mean the personnel picture is settled for long. With a deep group in several spots and a coaching staff that has never been shy about reshaping the bottom and middle of the roster, players who survive the initial cut can still become trade candidates once the season starts and needs begin to sort themselves out.
A few names are worth watching because depth, performance and fit can all change quickly in San Francisco, and that gives the front office flexibility if another team comes calling. Jones, Samuel, Alfred Collins and Bethune are among the players whose situations could draw interest depending on how the early weeks unfold, but any move would hinge on both the 49ers' own needs and whether outside clubs see enough value to make a real offer. [Read more 🡒]
Deebo Samuel Is Giving The 49ers A Reason To Reconsider Him
Deebo Samuels return to the 49ers was shaped by both familiarity and necessity, with San Francisco bringing him back on a one-year, mostly incentive-based contract after Washington moved on. He has taken part fully in training camp, and the early view around the team is that he can still be useful in a variety of ways, whether that means lining up at receiver, taking snaps at running back or helping on special teams.
The timing of the move matters just as much as the reunion itself. San Francisco had a need for more depth after Ricky Pearsalls season-ending injury, and Samuel gives the roster a player who knows the system and can fill multiple roles without much transition time. The bigger question now is how much of that old versatility still translates into a meaningful place in the 49ers plans. [Read more 🡒]