Has the Super Bowl Window for the 49ers Shrunk?
There was little doubt that the San Francisco 49ers would be returning to the playoffs in 2020.
The vast majority of the team's core remained intact including the coaching staff. San Francisco was in a prime position to make another run at a Super Bowl appearance. Unfortunately for them, injuries completely derailed the 49ers' hopes and dreams of running it back.
Now they enter the offseason without the brilliant Robert Saleh, pass game coordinator Mike LaFleur, and handful of star players potentially leaving the team via free agency. The 49ers are still a good team, but losing some of their key players and coaches certainly hurts. You could argue that there was no better chance to return to the Super Bowl than 2020.
Has the Super Bowl window for the 49ers shrunk?
Absolutely.
It has shrunk by at least a bit. The 2021 Super Bowl window will not be nearly as open as it was in 2020.
For starters, the 49ers wasted their final year with Saleh as their defensive coordinator. And while I believe newly promoted coordinator DeMeco Ryans is capable, I would be hard pressed to believe there won't be a sizeable drop off from Saleh. How he creates and dials up his blitzes, concocts unique coverages, and most importantly is able to adapt will be difficult for Ryans to replicate. Ryans could get there at some point. I just don't see it in 2021.
LaFleur left with Saleh to the Jets, and while his impact is not nearly as heavy as Saleh, he still is a valuable coach. There is a reason Shanahan denied LaFleur permission to be interviewed by other teams before this year. He is a linchpin to Shanahan's weekly planning, so now more of that responsibility falls on newly promoted offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Lastly, the 49ers once again find themselves with a tight salary cap going into free agency. Because of that, they could end up losing Trent Williams, Jason Verrett, K'Waun Williams, Kyle Juszczyk, and Jaquiski Tartt. These are the key players that sewed a strong core for the 49ers and with at least some of these players leaving, that core will start to dwindle. Each of these players listed impact the 49ers uniquely, meaning that they cannot be so easily replaced.
Again, injuries derailed this team from becoming a playoff unit. But the reality is that 2020 was a wasted season and their best opportunity to return to the Super Bowl. The 49ers will still be a force to be reckoned with in 2021 because this is still a team with talented players and coaches.
But their window is starting to close, which puts more pressure on Shanahan and John Lynch to continue to retool the team.
