How rival NFC West teams have already dug holes for themselves in 2025

San Francisco 49ers

It's hard to believe that the San Francisco 49ers, a team that played to a 12-5 record in 2023 and earned its way to Super Bowl LVIII would fall to a dismal record of 6-11 in 2024. Of course, the culprit was an epidemic of injuries. But their intentions to remedy the injury-riddled 2024 season is to part ways with many of the players who consistently helped to get the team into postseason competition.

The 49ers, to put it simply, cleaned house. Who is gone from their 2024 roster? So far, they have parted ways with:

• WR Deebo Samuel | Traded to Washington Commander
• DT Javon Hargrave | Signed with Minnesota VIkings
• CB Charvarius Ward | Signed with Indianapolis Colts
• OLB Leonard Floyd | Signed with Atlanta Falcons
• LB Dre Greenlaw | Signed with Denver Broncos
• CB Isaac Yiadom | Signed with New Orleans Saints
• QB Joshua Dobbs | Signed with New England Patriots
• QB Brandon Allen | Signed with Tennessee Titans
• DB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles | Signed with New York Giants
• IOL Aaron Banks | Signed with Green Bay Packers
• OT Charlie Heck | Signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• OT Jaylen Moore | Signed with Kansas City Chiefs
• DB Talanoa Hufanga | Signed with Denver Broncos
• RB Elijah Mitchell | Signed with Kansas City Chiefs
• RB Jordan Mason | Signed with Minnesota Vikings
• DB Rock Ya-Sin | Signed with Detroit Lions

That is a lot of talent no longer playing for the 49ers. Many of the players parting ways with the 49ers are simply not accidents. Rather, to shed committed salary cap dollars to make room to extend QB Brock Purdy, the 49ers have had the NFL equivalent to a fire sale.

Much like the Rams decision to part ways with WR Cooper Kupp, the 49ers decided to part ways with long-term defensive fixture Javon Hargrave.

While the team is getting many players back from injury in 2025, the exodus of 16 players already is a significant drain on the talent level of the Niners. They may not be done just yet. The 49ers had permitted WR Brandon Aiyuk to seek a trade partner. While no trade has happened yet, the Cleveland Browns appear to be actively pursuing a trade for Aiyuk before the 2025 NFL Draft.

NFL Insider/analyst Emmanuel Acho is livid over the 49ers' willingness to divest from so many star players so quickly. He has a legitimate point. Although they will compete in 2025 on a last-place team's schedule, they still have to suit up and win the games. Right now, they are banking on the team to organically bounce back in 2025. I'm not convinced that happens so easily.

The 49ers starters will be back. But the 49ers depth at many vital positions is decimated. And team chemistry is a tricky thing to tinker with. A team that was off the charts in chemistry one season may struggle the next season as players try to reestablish the pecking order in the locker room.

There are many 49ers fans who will disagree with me on this, but I just don't see this many players bailing on that team, and yet the team returns to dominate the NFL once more. The 49ers have 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and will likely need to hit on all 11 to be back in contention. From a team that selected kickerJake Moody with the 99th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, I just don't see it working out that way.

I'm not anointing the Los Angeles Rams as the presumed winner of the NFC West Division already. But so far, the other NFC West Division rivals have not done enough to have more than a standard level of respect for them, as I do for all NFL teams.

As always, thanks for reading.

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