All 49ers

The 49ers' Biggest Strength Heading into Week 2 of Training Camp

Which unit qualifies as the 49ers' biggest strength heading into the second week of training camp?
Jul 24, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) works on his footwork in the pocket during the second day of training camp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Jul 24, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) works on his footwork in the pocket during the second day of training camp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

In this story:


The 49ers are starting to figure out who they are.

Today, they'll put on pads for the first time this offseason. But they've already practiced four times in training camp, plus the practiced during OTAs and minicamp. They've seen their strengths and weaknesses. And this year, they have some definite weaknesses.

But they also have their strengths, which is why they're the odds-on favorite to win the NFC West. And their biggest strength, according to Bleacher Report, is their "offensive ecosystem."

The 49ers' biggest strength is their offense

"Brock Purdy earned his five-year, $265 million contract this offseason," writes Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine. "He's a perfect fit with Kyle Shanahan and executes at a high level. But there's no denying it's the entire offensive ecosystem that drive the Niners' success. They've finished as a top-10 offense in five of the last six seasons under Shanahan's watch.

"The coach is one of the best offensive minds in the league. It also helps that there's plenty to like about the supporting cast around Purdy.

"Christian McCaffrey is still one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the league, Brandon Aiyuk is a real problem when healthy and George Kittle remains one of the best tight ends in the league.

"Even with Aiyuk set to miss some time early in the season, the Niners have the firepower to be dangerous."

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan (right) and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh confer during an OTA at Levi's.
Jun 10, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan (right) and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh confer during an OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Ballentine is correct that the 49ers' offense has lots of firepower. Even without some of their stars last season, they still ranked fourth in the league in yards gained, which is extremely impressive. And Shanahan gets credit for that.

But the 49ers offense also ranked 27th in turnovers last season, and that's a big reason their defense struggled. Purdy needs to throw fewer interceptions -- his interception percentage has gone up three seasons in a row.

And their offensive line needs to keep him healthy. The 49ers have one of the thinnest offensive lines in the NFL -- when Trent Williams isn't healthy, it might be the worst O-line, last season, Brock Purdy got injured twice. Now, the offensive line is even thinner.

Shanahan's unit still has much to answer for this year.

Read more


Published
Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

Share on XFollow grantcohn