The 5 Most Disappointing Players From the 49ers in 2023
Expectations is what determines disappointment or success with players/teams.
For the San Francisco 49ers, they found a ton of success with so many players, which is what got them to the Super Bowl in the first place. However, there were some players who disappointed this year that made it a bit challenging for the 49ers. Here are the five most disappointing players from the 49ers in 2023.
Drake Jackson
So much hype was built up with pass rusher Drake Jackson in the offseason. Whether it was Kyle Shanahan or former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Jackson had himself a hype train going into his sophomore season in 2023. It was an unfair buildup that he could never live up to and didn't. Jackson's season started out strong in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He would tally an astonishing three sacks in that game. It looked like a statement game from him. However, if you watched the game, all of his sacks were cleanups where the play lasted a while. After Week 1, Jackson would not record another sack and never made a lasting impact again. It is why the 49ers acquired Randy Gregory. They wanted more from their pass rush, which showed how disappointing Jackson was this past year.
Spencer Burford
2022 was an odd season on the offensive line for the 49ers because of how they handled the right guard position. They treated it like a basketball rotation by flipping Spencer Burford and Daniel Brunskill as they saw fit. In a way, it was seen as a good idea to incorporate Burford to give him experience. 2023 was supposed to be his year of holding onto the starting role and being solid.
But that never was the case. Injuries played a part in his disappointing year, but Burford just wasn't good at all. He would end up being replaced as the starter by veteran Jon Feliciano. Burford's ineptitude came on full display on the 49ers' final offensive play of the game when he allowed Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones to have a free rush on Brock Purdy. He is a player the 49ers need to look to replace this offseason to avoid further disappointment.
Chase Young
From one disappointment to another. The 49ers acquired Chase Young from the Washington Commanders due to Jackson being irrelevant. At first, Young looked pretty solid. The first few games were decent from him and it was believed that he could only get better as he meshed more with the 49ers. But that never took place. The best Young would look would be in the first few games.
After that, he ended up just being a guy. Just a filler player on the defensive line only good for an impact play or two. Effort ended up being drawn into question with Young after he was shown lollygagging in the NFC championship game on a touchdown run allowed. Young didn't come close to the player the 49ers hoped they were acquiring, so he finished the season as a disappointing player.
Jake Moody
Drafting a kicker in the third round of the NFL draft was largely viewed as asinine by the 49ers. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt since they whiff so much in that round anyways. At least this time they were able to bring in an immediate starter who can impact the game. But with the season over with, it is fair to say that rookie Jake Moody was a disappointment this season.
So many kicks from him this past year lacked confidence. He even cost the 49ers a couple of games this season and missed chances to give his team momentum as well. For a player who was touted as an impressive prospect for a kicker, Moody was underwhelming and disappointing. Until he puts together a confident season, then he will forever be a skittish player whenever he trots out to kick a field goal.
Nick Bosa
Coming off the best season of his career was always going to set insanely high standards for Nick Bosa. And just like with Deebo Samuel going into 2022, Bosa could not come close to the player he was in the previous season. Some of that has to do with his holdout, which is also similar to Samuel. Bosa didn't join the 49ers until the leadup for Week 1 of the regular season against the Steelers.
That first half of the season is what made him such a disappointment this year. By no means did he have a bad season. He still was an impactful player with his abundance of pressures, 10.5 sacks, and 35 quarterback hits. But again, he could've been better and I'm sure he would admit that himself. Joining the 49ers late is what caused him to be sluggish and not as dominant as we're used to seeing him. I'd expect a tremendous bounce back from him in 2024.
