San Francisco 49ers: 3 players facing do-or-die seasons in 2020
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers may be pushing out some underperforming talent in 2020, which means these three players need to step it up big time this upcoming year.
After two disappointing seasons, the 2019 San Francisco 49ers proved they have a roster worthy of contending for a Super Bowl for a while. Simply put, their championship window is now open, and it’ll stay that way for the immediate future.
The influx of talent last year, combined with the maturation and development from players already on the roster, ultimately means general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan can afford to cut bait with players no longer fitting into the long-term plans. This, even if it means parting ways with players who were once seen as potential impact talents.
2019 was a perfect microcosm of this. Players many thought would be household names among Niners fans fell by the wayside, giving way to others who took the opportunity and ran with it, quite literally.
Look no further than running back Raheem Mostert, a perennial special teams ace who secured the starting job over more established runners like Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida, carrying that momentum all the way through Super Bowl LIV.
What that means for Coleman and Breida going forward isn’t yet known. But there are plenty of other cases where the upcoming 2020 campaign will be decisive in determining whether or not the 49ers hold onto players who may otherwise no longer be needed.
For those guys, every chance between now and the end of the regular season will be crucial.
Here are three Niners players facing a do-or-die situation in 2020 and will need every opportunity to turn their NFL careers around if they hope to remain with San Francisco.