The San Francisco 49ers almost managed to bring home a Super Bowl title last year, but they are prime candidates to take a big step back in 2020.Ā
San Francisco 49ers fans are anxious to get the 2020 season underway. They see it as an opportunity to atone from last yearās Super Bowl loss. Unfortunately for the 49ers, theyāre poised to take a significant step back this year.
That doesnāt mean theyāre going to suddenly become NFC West bottom-feeders. Itās still safe to project the Niners as a playoff team. The challenge the team wonāt be able to overcome is, once again, to call themselves one of the elite teams in the NFL.
Read on to discover the top five reasons why the 49ers are poised for regression in 2020.
5. Jimmy Garoppolo isnāt a difference-maker
Itās easy to forget that Garoppolo is already 28 years old. He spent a lot of time on the sidelines in New England before he assumed the starting role in San Francisco.
That means he doesnāt have a ton of upside left. The quarterback he was in 2019 is largely the quarterback heās going to be in 2020. Thatās not good news for 49ers fans who want him to grow into a legitimate MVP candidate.
That means San Francisco can comfortably predict for Garoppolo to throw for somewhereĀ around 4,000 yards with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 2:1 again in 2020. Heās not going to do anything more for his offense than that. Heās much closer to a game manager than a star.
That reality is likely going to frustrate players inside the 49ers locker room as next season progresses. Heās being paid a ton of money by the franchise to be their offensive talisman. The realization that heās not that guy is going to cause serious issues inside the San Francisco locker room.