Grading the 49ers' players and coaches halfway through the season

Hard to believe Week 10 is upon us.

Nov 2, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up prior to a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The 49ers' season should be dead right now.

Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Mykel Williams all are out for the year. Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall haven't played since Week 4. And Brandon Aiyuk might not play at all this season.

And yet, the 49ers' record is 6-3, and they've beaten all three teams in the NFC West. Somehow, they're finding ways to win games they probably should lose.

With that in mind, here are their grades for the first half of the season.

QUARTERBACKS: A-MINUS

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Brock Purdy has been injured since the second quarter of the first game of the season, but when he played, he through four interceptions in two games games. He also held the ball a long time and got injured while scrambling twice. He's not the playmaker he thinks he is.

Meanwhile, Mac Jones is one of only 10 quarterbacks this season with at least five wins and only two losses. And he's winning these games with poor pass protection, the worst running game in the NFL in terms of yards per carry, and a completely decimated defense. If he keeps it up, he could put himself in the MVP conversation.

RUNNING BACKS: B-PLUS

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Christian McCaffrey is almost 30. As a result, he's averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, the lowest of his career. He simply isn't as explosive or dynamic as he was a couple years ago.

But he's still an elite receiver for his position, plus he's an elite competitor. He currently leads the NFL in both touches and yards from scrimmage, which shows how relentless and durable he has been this season. You could argue the 49ers actually have overused him and would be better off mixing in Brian Robinson Jr., who's averaging a career-high 4.8 yards per carry.

WIDE RECEIVERS: C-MINUS

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Ricky Pearsall is a dangerous deep threat when healthy, but he isn't healthy often, which means he can't be a No. 1 receiver. He has been out since Week 4 after banging his knee on the grass. Apparently, he injured his PCL. He might not have the body to hold up in the NFL.

Without Pearsall, the 49ers' receivers are uninspiring. The best one is Kendrick Bourne, who doesn't get as many targets as he deserves. And that's because the 49ers keep forcing the ball to Jauan Jennings, who's injured and unhappy.

In addition, Demarcus Robinson has been awful since returning from a three-game suspension, and Skyy Moore has been a non-factor.

TIGHT ENDS: B

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George Kittle pulled his hamstring in the season opener and still hasn't gained more than 43 yards in a game this year. Either he's beginning to show his age, or he isn't fully healthy yet. He certainly isn't the downfield threat he was in the past.

Fortunately for the 49ers, they finally found a quality backup for Kittle, and it's Jake Tonges. He has four touchdown catches this season and has emerged as one of the 49ers' most overlooked weapons. Even Kyle Shanahan forgets about him.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: C-MINUS

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This group doesn't do anything particularly well, but it's surviving. It struggles to run block and gets pushed around in pass protection, and it still has one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Granted, Trent Williams isn't as good as he used to be, but he's still good. Colton McKivitz also is a good run blocker -- he just needs help every time the 49ers are in an obvious passing situation.

On the interior, Dominick Puni has been playing through a knee injury seems and just recently started playing well. Rookie Connor Colby was abysmal at left guard but recently got replaced by Spencer Burford who is an upgrade. And at center, Matthew Hennessy hasn't been worse than injured starter Jake Brendel. The 49ers probably will find a new center this offseason.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: C

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Bryce Huff has been one of the best edge rushers in the league this season. He missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, but he is expected to return this Sunday, barring a setback in practice. And in seven games, he already has four sacks. Thank goodness the 49ers traded for him during the offseason, considering Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams both tore their ACLs recently.

Other than Huff, the 49ers don't have a healthy defensive lineman who's particularly good. Sam Okuayinonu is solid against the run, and Keion White seems to be a decent interior pass rusher. Rookie Alfred Collins has potential, but he's not a pass rusher.

LINEBACKERS: C-PLUS

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If Fred Warner were healthy, this grade would be much closer to an A. But he's out for the season with a fractured and dislocated ankle. His replacement, Tatum Bethune, is an excellent run defender, but he's nothing special in coverage.

The weakside linebacker, Dee Winters, is just a guy. The strongside linebacker, Luke Gifford, is a special-teams guy. And the rookie, Nick Martin, hasn't played a snap on defense yet. If he weren't a complete liability, you figure he'd be playing.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: B-MINUS

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Deommodore Lenoir has the 49ers' only interception this season, but he also has given up three touchdown catches in nine games after giving up three total in the past three seasons. He hasn't lived up to his contract extension.

The best cornerback on the team right now is Renardo Green, who has a team-high seven pass breakups and a team-low 70.1 passer rating when targeted. His confidence is growing every week.

Rookie nickelback Upton Stout is excellent in run defense and improving in coverage, but he's still a bit of a liability. Veteran nickelback Chase Lucas is unquestionably better than Stout in coverage.

Strong safety Malik Mustapha missed the first half of the season but is rapidly regaining his form as the top safety on the team. And Ji'Ayir Brown is still essentially a liability. The 49ers need to find a new free safety this offseason.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A-PLUS

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Last year, the 49ers had Jake Moody, arguably the worst kicker in football. This year, the 49ers have Eddy Pineiro, arguably the best kicker in football. And they signed him off the street. He missed his first kick -- an extra-point attempt -- but since then, he has been absolutely perfect. The 49ers probably wouldn't have a winning record without him. He's one of the main reasons they've been winning.

COACHES: B-PLUS

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Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh deserve tremendous credit for leading this team to a 6-3 start despite having the most roster in the league for what feels like the 10th season in a row. Their wins over the Seahawks and Rams were particularly impressive, considering the 49ers were on the road in both games and facing teams that are better than them on paper.

But the loss to the Jaguars mostly was on Shanahan for rushing Brock Purdy back onto the field and getting him injured for the second time this season. If Mac Jones weren't playing so well, Shanahan would be getting crushed by the media for jeopardizing the season and Purdy's career just to win one game in September.

And the loss to the Texans mostly was on Saleh for calling the softest, most conservative game of his career. Even he acknowledged that his game plan was all wrong.

Still, these two are having a good season.

FRONT OFFICE: C-MINUS

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This grade might seem low for a team that's 6-3, but the 49ers mostly have been winning in spite of their front office this season.

John Lynch gets credit for signing Mac Jones and Eddy Pineiro, and for acquiring Bryce Huff in a trade. Those were good moves.

But his most expensive free-agent signing was tight end Luke Farrell, who's a non-factor. His No. 1 draft pick was Mykel Williams, a tweener who's not a pass rusher and currently is out for the year with a torn ACL.

Lynch also traded Deebo Samuel for a draft pick, which he used to take Jordan James, who hasn't played a snap in the NFL. In addition, Lynch traded Jordan Mason for a draft pick which he used to take Marques Sigle, who's one of the worst coverage safeties in the league.

What's more, Lynch traded for Brian Robinson Jr., who's solid but almost never gets to see the field on offense. And Lynch traded for Skyy Moore, who isn't good.

To add insult to injury, Lynch gave a $265 million extension to Brock Purdy, who's injured. He gave a $63 million extension to Fred Warner, who's injured. Plus, he gave a $76.4 million extension to George Kittle, who was injured and still hasn't gained more than 43 yards in a game this season.

Despite all of Lynch's blunders, the 49ers are three games above .500. And yet, he still decided to bring in zero reinforcements at the trade deadline, even though the defense is decimated. That's another poor decision on his part.

If the 49ers find a way to miss the playoffs this season, blame Lynch.