San Francisco exceeded all expectations last season after injuries plagued the entire roster.
The 49ers rallied to finish 12-5, then scored the winning touchdown to end the Eagles’ repeat bid. They finally crashed out in the League Cup group stage against the eventual Super Bowl champions, but just like their competition, they’ve done enough to bolster themselves for another run.
Besides getting stars like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and George Kittle back from injuries that knocked them out for the 2025 season, the Niners also added a six-time Pro Bowler in Evans to the wide receiver room and brought back Warner’s partner in crime, linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
If San Francisco can stay upright, there’s little reason to expect anything less than another three-team race for the top spot in the NFC West.
With the Lombardi Trophy holders residing in the league, the influx of talent to the Bay and the understanding last year could have been if not for some injury luck, there’s enough incentive for the 49ers to make another trade as the team to talk about in 2026.
Just don’t factor a retirement trip for the 35-year-old Jusczcyk into the equation.
Heading into his 14th year, the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback still has no plans to put a timeline on his career.
“I feel so good and I’m still having a lot of fun,” Juszczyk said. “I’m not doing anything, and I feel like I’m still playing at such a high level. So I want to keep doing this as long as I possibly can … I haven’t put a date on when I want to finish, but as it stands now, I’m just going to keep going until the wheels fall off.”