Category: Latest 49ers news

2 49ers opponents to play international games in 2025

Could the 49ers be headed to England?

The San Francisco 49ers could be headed across the Atlantic to play a game in the 2025 season.

According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL on Friday announced the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars will all play international games next season. The Jets and Browns will play at Tottenham Stadium, while the Jaguars will be at Wembley. Dates and times will be announced with the NFL schedule sometime in May.

Pelissero also noted the NFL can schedule up to eight international games, and that Madrid and Berlin will both host games in 2025. That leaves the door open for other opportunities for the 49ers to go overseas, although teams for those games haven’t been announced.

San Francisco is slated to play against the Jaguars and Browns next year, putting them in the mix to play in one of those London games.

However, it’s likely the teams announced Friday will be the home team in those matchups, which takes the Jaguars off the table. The 49ers are scheduled to host Jacksonville at Levi’s Stadium.

Their matchup against Cleveland remains in play though since that’s a road game for the 49ers. The Browns got onto San Francisco’s schedule by way of both teams finishing last in their respective divisions.

The 49ers haven’t played an international game since 2012 when they faced the Jaguars at Wembley. That year they rolled the Jags 42-10.

With what projects as a weak schedule, the 49ers may be subjected by the NFL to an international trip, particularly since San Francisco has a strong following in England.

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49ers salary cap space in good spot entering 2025 offseason

The 49ers salary cap management is pretty good.

The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in an advantageous spot with the salary cap entering the 2025 offseason.

While Brock Purdy’s pending extension will undoubtedly force the club to make some adjustments to their spending long-term, it isn’t likely to have a substantial impact this offseason. Thanks to some contract maneuvering last season, the 49ers will enter 2025 more than $47 million under the projected $272.5 million salary cap according to Over the Cap.

Thanks to an NFL-high $50,096,964 in carryover space from the 2024 season, the 49ers will have the 12th-most cap space entering the offseason.

Here’s what each team’s salary cap space is according to OTC:

1. New England Patriots: $122,067,139
2. Las Vegas Raiders: $107,308,173
3. Washington Commanders: $96,028,698
4. Arizona Cardinals: $81,576,219
5. Chicago Bears: $80,486,337
6. Los Angeles Chargers: $74,428,749
7. Minnesota Vikings: $71,330,620
8. Green Bay Packers: $61,381,852
9. Detroit Lions: $59,127,286
10. Cincinnati Bengals: $57,138,434
11. Los Angeles Rams: $56,570,193
12. San Francisco 49ers: $56,564,041
13. Pittsburgh Steelers: $54,303,012
14. Denver Broncos: $53,471,089
15. New York Giants: $53,435,270
16. Tennessee Titans: $49,842,691
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $35,765,938
18. Indianapolis Colts: $32,703,628
19. Carolina Panthers: $29,083,104
20. New York Jets: $27,854,725
21. Philadelphia Eagles: $25,662,494
22. Baltimore Ravens: $23,455,824
23. Kansas City Chiefs: $19,945,685
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $19,935,539
25. Dallas Cowboys: $14,998,777
26. Houston Texans: $6,909,720
27. Atlanta Falcons: $4,039,709
28. Buffalo Bills: $2,012,780
29. Miami Dolphins: -$2,827,083
30. Seattle Seahawks: -$16,465,244
31. Cleveland Browns: -$23,390,523
32. New Orleans Saints: -$51,390,583

For the 49ers their cap space will need to be carefully managed since they will have some dead money on their books over the next couple of seasons, and in the near future Purdy’s cap number will skyrocket and make things a little trickier in terms of keeping or signing high-priced talent.

With plenty of holes to fill on both sides of the ball, how the 49ers manage the advantageous place they’re in from a cap standpoint entering the offseason will play a key role in determining how quickly they bounce back and how wide they can open a new Super Bowl window.

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2025 mock draft: 49ers may be able to maximize talented edge rusher

New mock draft, new pass rusher for the 49ers.

There’s not a more important aspect of the San Francisco 49ers defense than their pass rush.

That unit struggled in the 2024 season, which didn’t help the struggles that led to the ouster of defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. Addressing that group has to be a priority in the 2025 NFL draft, and they do so in a new mock draft from the Draft Wire.

In that recent one-round mock, the 49ers select Texas A&M edge rusher Nic Scourton with the No. 11 overall pick.

Scourton is an intriguing prospect with good size and athleticism that should quickly translate to the NFL. He’s listed at 6-4, 280 pounds, but he moves laterally like a much smaller DE.

He spent his first two years at Purdue and led the Big 10 in sacks with 10.0 in the 2023 season as a sophomore. Scourton transferred to Texas A&M for the 2024 season and didn’t have as much success getting quarterbacks on the ground in the SEC, finishing with 5.0 sacks. Pro Football Focus had him down for an impressive 42 pressures in 263 pass rush snaps in 2023. That number dropped to 35 pressures in 318 pass rush snaps this season.

It’s easy to see why San Francisco would be intrigued with Scourton based on his tools as an edge rusher, but his size may afford him the versatility to kick inside and contribute as an interior pass rusher as well. If the 49ers think they can snag a pass rusher who can make an impact at two positions, it’s hard to imagine they’d pass on him with their first-round choice.

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John Lynch update on Trent Williams is great news for 49ers

The 49ers are very confident Trent Williams will be back next season.

The San Francisco 49ers have some work to do on their roster this offseason to return to Super Bowl contention.

That work would get significantly more difficult if 36-year-old All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams opted to hang up his pads and retire after an injury-plagued 14th NFL season. Alas, Williams is committed to returning to San Francisco according to general manager John Lynch.

Lynch on Wednesday in a press conference told reporters Williams is recovering well from the ankle injury that limited him to only 10 games this season, and that the team fully expects their superstar left tackle to be back for the 2025 campaign.

“Trent’s doing well,” said Lynch. “He had a bruise in the ankle joint and it probably took a little longer than anyone anticipated, but sometimes that happens. And the good news is, it’s taken a positive turn. Trent’s mindset is where it always is and he’s still very interested in being a great player that he is. And I think he’s still got a lot left in the tank. So, Trent’s committed as ever and we love having Trent Williams a part of us.”

Williams returning for at least 2025 changes the way the 49ers can attack their offseason. If he wasn’t going to return, they may turn all their resources toward finding his long-term replacement to protect quarterback Brock Purdy’s blind side.

By getting an All-Pro back, not only do the 49ers retain one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen, they can also focus their offseason energy on supplementing their offensive line and bolstering other areas of their roster instead of trying to replace a future Hall of Famer.

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John Lynch expects popular name in NFL trade rumors to stay with 49ers

John Lynch: 49ers expect Deebo Samuel back

There are some tough decisions coming up for the San Francisco 49ers as they gear up to have a top-of-market quarterback contract on their books.

One of those tough decisions could involve wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is coming off a disappointing year and has an expensive contract the 49ers could save some money on by releasing him with a post-June 1 designation.

General manager John Lynch on Wednesday said the team planned to release veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave with that designation. He did not say the same for Samuel, who is a popular trade candidate in pre-offseason speculation.

“Yeah,” said Lynch when asked if he expects Samuel back. “A good player and has done a ton for this organization and we’re not in the business of letting good players out of here.”

It appeared throughout the year like Samuel might be in the midst of a rapid decline out of his prime, which catalyzed some of the speculation about his future in San Francisco.

However, late in the year he put together a vintage performance against the Miami Dolphins where he caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and ran five times for 25 yards. More importantly, he forced six missed tackles on his seven catches, and another on one of his five carries per Pro Football Focus.

The eye test matched the numbers with his burst and explosiveness both reminiscent of the player who carried the 49ers’ offense through the 2021 season, and at various points the following two years.

Perhaps Samuel was dealing with an injury all year or some ailment that kept him from being the best version of himself. If that’s the case and the 49ers are privy to it, it makes a ton of sense to ensure he stays in the Bay Area for at least one more season.

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49ers have perfect avenue to keep recently-fired DC on coaching staff

Nick Sorensen was fired as the 49ers DC, but he may take on a new role on the coaching staff.

Nick Sorensen was fired from his role as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator after one season, but his time with the club may not be over.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in a press conference confirmed that Sorensen would no longer be the team’s DC, but he noted he thinks highly of Sorensen as a coach and hopes to keep him on the coaching staff.

“Yeah. First of all, it was a real tough decision,” said Shanahan. “I love Nick as a person and I love him as a coach. Still trying to hope to keep him on board in another capacity, because he is a guy I don’t want to lose. But just where we’re at, really as a team, where I think we need to go. There are a lot of big decisions ahead for us. And as hard as it is for me to come to this conclusion, but I feel there are some options out there that can end up being a better option in the situation that we’re in for our team. And when really it comes down to that, in the position I’m in, regardless of anything else, that’s always the stuff I’ve got to go with. So, it was a real tough decision for me, and I’m still hoping that we can keep Nick here, but I do feel there are some other avenues that in the long run will be better for the 49ers.”

The good news for Shanahan is there’s a logical avenue to keep Sorensen on-staff.

San Francisco also fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, and Shanahan told reporters in his press conference that Sorensen is a candidate to fill that role.

Sorensen has a ton of experience as a pro coach on special teams units. His first NFL job came under Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll as an assistant special teams coach from 2013-16. Prior to joining the 49ers he was the special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.

While Sorensen may have not been fully prepared to be a defensive coordinator, his special teams experience and familiarity with the 49ers roster could make him a prime candidate to turn around one of the league’s worst special teams units.

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49ers plan to release former Pro Bowl D-lineman after 2 seasons in SF

The 49ers’ plan is to release Javon Hargrave.

The San Francisco 49ers overhaul of their defensive line is set to include the release of perhaps their best defensive tackle.

General manager John Lynch on Wednesday in his end-of-season press conference told reporters the 49ers are planning to release DT Javon Hargrave with a post-June 1 designation, though they’re open to bringing him back.

Hargrave played in only three games this season before suffering a season-ending triceps tear.

A recent restructure of his deal made the post-June 1 route a palatable one for San Francisco on the salary cap front. Over the Cap had the details on his restructure in December:

The 49ers reduced Hargrave’s base salary from $19.9 million to $2.1 million, dropping Hargraves salary cap number from $28.105 million to $10.305 million in the process. The original cost to cut Hargrave would have been either $24.86 million on the cap or $28.105 million during free agency if using the June 1. This will allow the team to designate Hargrave as a post June 1 release, count for just $10.3 million on the cap during free agency and then have it drop to and have his cap number count for $8.6 million in 2025 if Hargrave is still hurt and defer $17.485 million to 2026.

While it seems counterintuitive to release a quality defensive lineman in the midst of rebuilding a defensive line, this is the reality of the 49ers’ salary cap situation. They’re going to have to cut ties with some good players and it appears that’s what they’re set to do with Hargrave.

The 49ers signed Hargrave to a four-year, $81 million contract before the 2023 season. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023 and played in 19 games and posted 51 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks with San Francisco.

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Brandon Staley to receive another interview with 49ers for DC opening

The 49ers are set to interview assistant head coach Brandon Staley for their DC job.

2025 will be the second consecutive offseason where the San Francisco 49ers will conduct a search for a new defensive coordinator.

It will also be the second consecutive offseason they’ll interview former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley for the position. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in a press conference told reporters Staley would be one of the internal candidates San Francisco considers as they aim to replace the recently-fired Nick Sorensen.

Staley didn’t land the 49ers’ DC job last season, but his interview went well enough that he wound up as an assistant head coach. It’s unclear how much influence he had on San Francisco’s defense in 2024, but given that Sorensen was let go and Staley is getting an interview, it stands to reason his voice wasn’t prominent enough to have an adverse impact on his prospects of landing the DC gig.

Prior to becoming the Chargers’ head coach, Staley was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. That season LA finished No. 1 in both yards and points allowed en route to divisional round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

His defensive success didn’t translate to his tenure as a head coach where the Chargers finished no higher than 20th in yards allowed and no higher than 21st in points allowed across his three seasons in charge.

A move to Staley as the DC would spark a significant change in the 49ers’ scheme. Under head coach Kyle Shanahan the 49ers have reliably run a 4-3 base defense in the Pete Carroll vein. Staley’s background uses a 3-4 base after he came up in the NFL under former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Perhaps that’s the kind of change San Francisco wants to undergo in the offseason, but it would make more sense if they aimed for a coach like Robert Saleh or Jeff Ulbrich who would provide a less dramatic shift on that side of the ball.

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49ers make rare change to offensive coaching staff under Kyle Shanahan

The San Francisco 49ers will have an offensive coordinator for only the second time under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

The San Francisco 49ers are making an interesting change to their coaching staff.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in his end-of-season press conference told reporters offensive passing game specialist Klay Kubiak would be promoted to offensive coordinator. Shanahan noted Kubiak’s responsibilities wouldn’t change, but that he’d earned the upgrade in title.

It’s only the second time Shanahan has had an offensive coordinator since becoming the 49ers’ head coach in 2017. Mike McDaniel served in that role for one year in 2021 before getting hired as the Miami Dolphins head coach in 2022.

Kubiak is a fast-rising star on the 49ers’ offensive coaching staff. He called plays for two of the team’s preseason games, and then got to call plays for the team’s 2024 regular season against the Arizona Cardinals. Those were signs that he was well-regarded by Shanahan, and now an internal promotion could put him in line for a potential head coaching job in the near future.

Kubiak hasn’t been named in any head coach searches yet, but if he’s the OC for a better 49ers club next year he could quickly be in that mix.

Shanahan handing over play-calling duties to Kubiak for the finale makes more sense in light of his promotion. While Shanahan won’t give up play-calling duties this year and isn’t liable to do so any time soon, he wanted to give the assistant an opportunity to get a regular-season game on his resume along with the promotion. If San Francisco is able to bounce back in 2025 there won’t be any games Shanahan is comfortable turning over play-calling duties for, so a relatively meaningless Week 18 showdown with the Arizona Cardinals provided that rare opportunity.

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49ers expected to offer defensive coordinator job to their former DC

Robert Saleh time?

The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of a search for a new defensive coordinator for the second year in a row.

Last year they went with a familiar face in Nick Sorensen, who’d been on the coaching staff since 2021. This year they may do the same, but with a former defensive coordinator.

Josina Anderson on Wednesday reported the 49ers are expected to offer Robert Saleh their defensive coordinator job. Saleh was fired as the New York Jets head coach mid-season. He took a job as an offensive consultant on the Green Bay Packers staff this season after the Jets let him go.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan gave Saleh his first defensive coordinator opportunity in 2017 during Shanahan’s first season at the helm in San Francisco. Saleh struggled out of the gate, but turned into one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinators and wound up getting a job as the Jets head coach after the 2020 campaign.

It would be a pretty significant upgrade for the 49ers if they’re able to lure Saleh back to the Bay Area. Anderson also reported Saleh has a head coach interview lined up with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but if he doesn’t receive that post, it stands to reason he’d be back running a defense somewhere in the NFL.

Given his familiarity with the 49ers and their stars on the defensive side, a reunion would make a ton of sense for both sides. Saleh would get to re-establish himself as a head coaching candidate, and the 49ers would get a key piece to rebuild a defense that struggled mightily in 2024.

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