The Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champions, something that I'm sure doesn't please their NFC West brethren. While the Arizona Cardinals feel kind of, uhh...bad off at the moment, the other two teams are much closer to dethroning the Seahawks than you might think.
What, specifically, do the San Francisco 49ers need to do this offseason if they want to be the one that knocks the Seahawks down a peg in 2026? It starts with figuring out how to score points, considering the 41-6 playoff loss to Seattle in the Divisional Round.
Find a real No. 1 wide receiver
First and foremost, the 49ers have to find players to catch passes from Brock Purdy, especially when factoring in the George Kittle injury situation.
It's hard to believe the 49ers are at this point, because it wasn't that long ago that wide receiver was a major strength of the team with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel was traded to Washington last March, though, and the relationship between Aiyuk and the Niners has deteriorated to the point where there is a zero percent chance he ever takes another snap in a 49ers uniform. Meanwhile, Jauan Jennings is set to hit free agency this offseason, as is Kendrick Bourne. So, uhhhhhh...yeah. You can't go into 2026 with Ricky Pearsall as your best receiver.
So, what are the options? The free-agent market isn't great, especially if the Cowboys use the franchise tag on George Pickens, but there are certainly some options out there. Mike Evans isn't a long-term solution, but he could be useful in 2026. Maybe you bet on Wan'Dale Robinson or Alec Pierce being breakout candidates on a new team. Maybe you can explore the trade market.
Or maybe you just use your first-round pick on the best available guy. It's unclear who'll be around at Pick 27, but both Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion should go somewhere in the late 20s, so it's possible one is on the board then. I prefer Boston to give the team a strong outside receiving threat, but both guys would be improvements over the status quo in San Francisco.
Work on the offensive line
The 49ers have to start thinking about post-Trent Williams life. 15 seasons into his NFL career, Williams is still playing high-level football and is under contract for 2026, but nothing lasts forever. Looking for a future left tackle in the second or third round isn't a bad idea.
Beyond that, left guard is a concern as well, with Spencer Buford hitting free agency. Buford is likely going to command a sizable pay raise, and San Francisco has to seriously consider what to do about that. It could bring back Ben Bartch and move him into the starting lineup, though injuries limited him last season.
The team could also look elsewhere for left guard help. There should be a few good interior offensive linemen on the board at Pick 58, including Texas A&M's Chase Bisontis, who could be plugged in at guard if needed. There are options, and the Williams situation doesn't necessarily need to be figured out until next offseason, but thinking ahead is never a bad idea.
Re-sign Jake Tonges
With Kittle out for at least some time with his torn Achilles, the 49ers have to make sure they re-sign Jake Tonges, who proved he can be a very good starting tight end.
In the six games that Tonges played without Kittle, Tonges averaged 4.8 catches for 44.8 yards per game. It wasn't elite production or anything, but it was enough to suggest that as long as the 49ers spend money addressing wide receiver, they can get away with saving a bit by going with Tonges as the Kittle replacement.
Averages | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
with Kittle | 0.5 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
without Kittle | 4.8 | 44.8 | 0.5 |
If the 49ers strike out on upgrading at wide receiver, maybe they can bring Tonges back while also adding a free agent like David Njoku or Dallas Goedert, but that might not be the best allocation of resources. It would make more sense to spend at receiver — whether by trading for someone or by drafting a receiver in the first round — and then keep Tonges around on a bargain deal.
Add defensive line depth
San Francisco was 13th in the NFL in scoring defense last season. Not bad, but also not so good that the team can just ignore the defense this offseason.
The most pressing concern is that the 49ers can't get to the quarterback, recording a league-worst 20 sacks in 2025. That's six fewer than the New York Jets, and those are the only two teams with fewer than 30 sacks.
Season | Sacks |
|---|---|
2025 | 20 |
2024 | 37 |
2023 | 48 |
So, getting pressure is an issue. Part of that was that Nick Bosa was limited to three games after tearing his ACL. Part was that first-round pick Mykel Williams struggled early in the year before suffering his own ACL tear. Not having your projected starting defensive ends for that long of a span is an issue, and the act of simply getting both players back in 2026 should help the pass rush immensely.
Still, it's imperative that the 49ers add defensive line depth to help add additional pressure and to avoid falling off this badly if injuries strike again in 2026.
I don't necessarily think the 49ers need to go out and spend huge money on a Trey Hendrickson type player, but maybe they can explore the next tier of edge rushing candidates, guys like Kwity Paye or Joseph Ossai? You can start players like that and let Williams play more of a rotational role until he gets more prepared for winning at the line against NFL offensive linemen.