The SF 49ers mostly have their starters entrenched for the upcoming 2020 season, yet these three could end up seeing a previous first-team role reversed.
Two or three years ago, the vast majority of SF 49ers positions were up for grabs as there were only a handful of established starters entrenched for the upcoming regular season.
Entering 2020, that’s not the case. The Niners retained 18 of their 22 offensive and defensive starters from last year’s Super Bowl squad, which is obviously great news for head coach Kyle Shanahan. And even the majority of depth spots and backups have all but been penciled in as the team comes together in training camp.
That leaves only, let’s say, 10 or so spots on the 53-man roster fully up for grabs, including the second- and third-team members.
Still, Shanahan and his staff aren’t simply going to hand starting duties over to players without exploring other possible options. While Shanahan is nowhere near as intense fostering competition as one of his predecessors, former San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh, Shanahan does have a knack for fielding players who are best-suited for their particular roles. If a player deserves to start because of what he does on the field, he’ll start. It’s that simple.
Yet it also means there are some players who could potentially lose out their starting jobs early this season. For every winner, there’s a loser. It’s that simple, too.
There aren’t too many 49ers former starters who are in danger of losing their first-team status between now and Week 1. But there is a handful who fit into this category.
Including these three players who could end up being relegated to backup duties sooner than later.