NFL Trade Rumors
On Monday, I looked at the best offseasons this cycle. Today, we’re getting negative. I’ve outlined the five worst offseasons so far, taking everything into consideration: free agency, draft, hiring cycle, cap management and more.
These teams failed to set themselves up for current or future success, depending on where they are as a franchise. Some of these teams are stuck in-between competing and rebuilding, while others claim to want to compete without putting themselves in position to do so.
Without further ado, the worst offseasons in 2025:
It has not been an offseason to remember in San Francisco. After taking the Chiefs to overtime in Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers took a step back last year, as injuries and thinning depth took their toll. Now that QB Brock Purdy is up for an extension, they’ve missed out on the rookie contact quarterback window. Their signal-caller is going to get a lot more expensive, and the Niners are already feeling the squeeze of an expensive roster.
Of the players that started in that Super Bowl against the Chiefs, WR Deebo Samuel, LG Aaron Banks, DT Arik Armstead, DT Javon Hargrave, ED Chase Young, LB Dre Greenlaw, CB Charvarius Ward and S Tashaun Gipson are no longer on the roster. Their defense has been decimated by attrition over the last two offseasons, and the unit they’re currently fielding doesn’t pack the same punch it did when the 49ers made perennial trips to the NFC Championship Game.
To combat this, San Francisco focused heavily on defense in the draft. DT Alfred Collins was a good pick in the second round, but LB Nick Martin was a massive overdraft in the third, and CB Upton Stout was a bit overdrafted as well. First-round pick ED Mykel Williams comes at a position of need, but there was better value on the board at pass rusher. Drafting for need and chasing “your guys” rarely works out, and that’s how the 49ers have operated for years. It’s part of what’s gotten them into this mess.
It would be unwise to count out Niners HC Kyle Shanahan. He’s one of the best in the game and hasn’t had back-to-back losing seasons in his tenure. But it’ll be an uphill battle for them to get back to a Super Bowl with this core. Purdy was found money in the seventh round, but now he’ll cost a market contract, making it tougher to field as deep a roster around him. The Rams are the clear favorites in the NFC West and the Cardinals appear to be on the upswing. We’ll see what the new-look Seahawks can do, but the 49ers face a tough battle in their own division, let alone the rest of the conference.
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