3 Reasons Why the 49ers Aren’t Super Bowl Contenders

The San Francisco 49ers' 2025 season showed they were not close to winning the Super Bowl.

Admittedly, they dealt with a revolving door of injuries on both sides of the ball, so reaching the divisional round of the playoffs highlighted how they managed despite rarely having all their key starters available.

That said, the 49ers’ front office still needed to address several positions in free agency, and based on what has happened so far, they are not true Super Bowl contenders just yet.

Here are three reasons why the 49ers aren't ready just yet.

Big investment needed on the offensive line

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) walks off the field after win against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The 49ers have yet to reach an agreement with Trent Williams, which is arguably their biggest concern at the moment.

Williams will turn 38 before the new season, meaning the 49ers must still invest further in their offensive line regardless of the outcome.

They added depth pieces in free agency, but the position group arguably looks worse than it did before last season. The 49ers are rumoured to target the offensive line in the first round of the draft later this month, which would be a positive step.

Protect Brock Purdy. It’s that simple.

Pass rush remains a problem

Sep 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) on the field during warm ups prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Even though Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are coming back from ACL tears that ended their respective 2025 seasons, San Francisco is still lacking a consistent pass rush.

Trading a third-round pick for Osa Odighizuwa is a strong move, especially given he came from rivals the Dallas Cowboys, but it is not enough to fully address the need. He offers other qualities.

The franchise will continue to be linked with Joey Bosa joining his brother Nick, and while a one-year deal could make sense, money appears to be the main obstacle, according to John Lynch at the NFL Annual Meeting.

The 49ers are still the third best team in the NFC West

Oct 2, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As an overall roster, the San Francisco 49ers are still trailing the Los Angeles Rams and the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West.

They largely addressed several needs this offseason in free agency, but it remains a problem that the 49ers are still behind their division rivals.

There are still plenty of areas that need sorting out, but this is the National Football League in the salary-cap era, where it is incredibly difficult to build a perfect roster across every position.