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ESPN Insider Says the 49ers are a Move or Two Away from Contention

The 49ers fall in the "stuck in the middle but a move or two away" tier along with the Falcons, the Cowboys and the Colts.
Grant Cohn|
Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) after the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) after the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are stuck in NFL purgatory.

They're not good enough as currently constructed to make a serious Super Bowl run, but they also aren't bad enough to start rebuilding.

ESPN recently tiered all 32 NFL teams in terms of how close they are to contention. Here are the tiers.

Still major contenders
On the cusp
Need a postseason breakthrough
Teetering contenders
Headed on the right track
Stuck in the middle ... but a move or two away
Stuck in QB purgatory
This could go either way
New coach, new direction
Rebuild in the works
Yep, still rebuilding

The 49ers fall in the "stuck in the middle but a move or two away" tier along with the Falcons, the Cowboys and the Colts.

"The 49ers' subpar 2024 shouldn't prompt a full rebuild," writes ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "And, really, is there any choice but to run it back? The roster is saddled with bloated salaries only suitable for a win-now plan. Scaling back in parts is a sound strategy -- and the 49ers are doing so by designating defensive tackle Javon Hargrave a post-June 1 cut and seeking to trade wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. Once those two moves are made, the 49ers can focus on a Brock Purdy extension. Star tight end George Kittle also is a year from free agency. Where San Francisco needs to improve is along the offensive line; it was thin before guard Aaron Banks was set to reach free agency."

I agree with Fowler that the 49ers could be contenders if they make one or two aggressive moves, such as trading for Myles Garrett. But I doubt the 49ers will make an aggressive move because they think they'll be contenders next season simply if they're healthy.

I hope I'm wrong.

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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.

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