6 reasons why 49ers 2021 season was still awesome (it really was)
By Peter Panacy
Reason No. 2: 49ers have a highly talented core that isn’t going anywhere
Think about some of the Niners’ top players from this season.
Left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, both first-team All-Pros for the first time in their respective careers, proved their worth time and time again. Tight end George Kittle, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and EDGE Nick Bosa all made the Pro Bowl, too.
Speaking of Bosa, who should be a top candidate for the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year award after tearing his ACL last season, finished the year with a whopping 15.5 sacks and an NFL-best 21 tackles for a loss.
No. 2 wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk also came on strong after a slow start, while second-year wideout Jauan Jennings is a clear-cut candidate to assume the No. 3 role for the foreseeable future, too.
As far as rookies go, San Francisco watched running back Elijah Mitchell set a franchise record for most rush yards by a first-year player (963), and he did so even though he missed six games because of injuries.
True, the most important part of the core will be quarterback Trey Lance and how he assumes the job from Jimmy Garoppolo in coming years.
But all of these players, so vital to the 49ers’ 2021 success, are under contract for next year and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
That’s good.