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Unlike aged fine wines, 49ers age could give Rams decided edge in 2024

The Rams proved that they can win with a young roster. Can the 49ers stay healthy with an older roster?

By Bret Stuter

NFC Championship - Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Odell Beckham Jr., Los Angeles Rams
NFC Championship - Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Odell Beckham Jr., Los Angeles Rams / Christian Petersen/GettyImages
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Veteran football players provide leadership, consistency, and the ability to mentor younger players, particularly those rookies or second-year players who are arriving to the NFL to compete in meaningful roles for the first time. The LA Rams, while one of the younger rosters in the NFL in 2024, certainly retained the wisdom to extend several key veteran leaders to ensure that the wisdom of their playing days would benefit young players as well.

In 2021, the LA Rams boasted one of the youngest NFL team rosters. That was the year in which the Rams won Super Bowl LVI.

Of course, the San Francisco 49ers have a different strategy. They tend to focus on getting older players on their roster. In 2021, the 49ers had the sixth oldest roster in the NFL. They were the second-oldest roster in 2023.

And they show no signs of a youth movement in 2024. In fact, they have embraced age as a priority, leading to their current ranking as the oldest roster in the NFL today:

So what's the problem? The 49ers have undeniably enjoyed success in the past three seasons, so why mess with success, right? In 2021, the 49ers ended the season with a 10-7 record and advanced all the way to the NFC Championship Game before suffering defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams.

In 2022, the 49ers finished with a record of 13-4, but suffered defeat in the NFC Championship Gamel. But this time they were sent packing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season, the 49ers played to a 12-5 record, and advanced all the way to Super Bowl LVIII. But once again, they lost. This time to the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

In each of the examples above, the 49ers banked on the belief that older players make better players. This was a team whose only truly young player in 2022 was Mr. Irrelevant, QB Brock Purdy. As a result, the 49ers have been able to go quite cheap at quarterback, and invest in expensive veteran play elsewhere. But changes are coming in 2024.

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