Why the 49ers' Biggest Question Mark Isn't the Offensive Line

The 49ers' offensive line gets overly criticized.

Sep 29, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers center Jake Brendel (64) reacts to a penalty call during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

All of offseason, and during the 2024 season, the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line has been scrutinized.

There seems to be a consensus among pundits and constant fan posts on social media that the offensive line is the 49ers' biggest question mark entering 2025.

It is a question mark for them, but it isn't the biggest. The 49ers' offensive line gets overly criticized. They are the punching bag of the team.

Were they fantastic in 2024? Absolutely not.

Were they horrendous? Not at all.

They are a middle-of-the-pack unit. It could be worse, but it also needs to be better. The reason they get overly criticized is because of how often Brock Purdy was under duress.

But half of that is Purdy's fault. He had one of the highest times to throw in the NFL, so he's getting adequate protection initially. However, he was also one of the highest pressured passers.

So, he is holding onto the ball way too long. Quarterbacks are just as responsible for pressures against themselves as the offensive line.

Where the 49ers' offensive line was lacking the most last year was in the run game. One of their worst run-blocking games was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It was Christian McCaffrey's debut game, and he had little real estate to operate with. It gave the impression that he lost his burst when in reality, he was patient for lanes that weren't opening.

The worst offensive lineman for the 49ers last year was Aaron Banks and he's now with the Green Bay Packers. Ben Bartch, who looked solid in his limited action last year, is in line to start.

The real biggest question mark on the 49ers is their defensive line. No one knows what it is going to look like with so many rookies there.

Will they pan out at all? How long will it take? Can they remain healthy? There are endless questions to ask there.

It is already known what the offensive line is. It's not known what the 49ers' defensive line is, so the offensive line shouldn't even be on here in that aspect.

In any case, this is just another perfect example that the offensive line is a punching bag.