With a new calendar year just around the corner, the 49ers have to make sure they try to better themselves by adopting these New Year’s resolutions.
The San Francisco 49ers certainly and adequately addressed one of their (should have been) New Year’s resolutions heading into the 2022 calendar year.
That was to not wait until the final game of the regular season to clinch a playoff berth. Sure, that Week 18 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Rams was thrilling. But, to avoid the ulcers and stresses that came with it, clinching a postseason spot much earlier would be much nicer.
Thank you, Niners, for doing that this season. It’s made the last few weeks of merely watching the NFC playoff picture, and how it pans out, that much easier.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan can be thrilled at having locked up the division with weeks to go in the regular season. And he can be hopeful San Francisco winds up getting one of the first two seeds in the playoffs, too, as doing so would go a long way to secure home-field advantage for much of the playoffs.
However, let’s talk more about the 2023 calendar year as a whole and not just what’s around the corner in the postseason.
Since it’s New Year’s Eve, after all, it’s only fitting for Shanahan and the 49ers to come up with their new list of resolutions for 2023.
49ers New Year’s resolution No. 1: Don’t start off a season so slow
Going back to 2021, remember how that year’s Niners team started off 3-5?
It was turning into a wasted campaign, fans were calling for Shanahan to be fired. Yes, things were bad… awfully bad. And that start ultimately prompted the heart attack-inducing finish San Francisco went through to close out the regular season.
Granted, 2022 was nowhere near as bad. Yet the 49ers still got off to a slow start, highlighted by ugly losses to the lowly Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos in Weeks 1 and 3, respectively.
Overall, the Niners began the year going 3-4, a mere one loss less than how 2021 opened.
For 2023, Shanahan would be wise to resolve something like what happened back in 2019 when San Francisco started off the season 8-0. That’d be nice.
49ers New Year’s resolution No. 2: Use George Kittle more
The 49ers have an overabundance of offensive weapons, including All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel, fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk, All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey and a flurry of other B-level talents to support.
Oh, and there’s tight end George Kittle. He’s a pretty good All-Pro, too.
For whatever reason, Kittle has become something of a forgotten commodity behind the likes of Samuel, Aiyuk and McCaffrey this year. Sure, the tight end has experienced a late-year resurgence with rookie quarterback Brock Purdy under center.
However, for much of the year, Kittle was enduring stretches where he’d have no more than three or four targets per game, and his yardage totals wouldn’t get out of the 20s.
For one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and someone who’ll cost the Niners a good deal of cash in 2023, it’d be wiser (and more cost-effective) to utilize him more in the new year.
49ers New Year’s resolution No. 3: Stop using Day 2 NFL Draft picks on running backs
Yes, the midseason trade for Christian McCaffrey probably just negated any possibility of San Francisco spending a second- or a third-round NFL Draft pick on a running back for a third consecutive year when the 2023 draft rolls around this spring.
However, don’t put it past Kyle Shanahan to do so again.
Exactly why he’s done this in back-to-back years is anyone’s guess, but the immediate takeaway of those efforts is they have failed miserably. In 2021, the 49ers’ selection of former Ohio State running back Trey Sermon turned sour quickly, and Sermon found himself off the team following one year.
In 2022, of course, the third-round selection of LSU tailback Tyrion Davis-Price was overly shocking right away, and the doubters have seemingly been justified with the rookie rusher having a mere 25 rush attempts for 67 yards over just four games played, and he’s frequently on the weekly inactive list, too.
When the Niners’ number is called on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft, Shanahan needs to keep his interest in a running back at bay.
49ers New Year’s resolution No. 4: Say goodbye to Jimmy Garoppolo (finally)
Alright, in hindsight, it’s a good thing San Francisco ultimately didn’t trade away quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo last offseason.
Knowing what we know now, the 49ers needed Jimmy G to return and relieve the injured starter, Trey Lance, way back in Week 2. And before getting himself seriously hurt in Week 13, Garoppolo was arguably playing the best football of his pro career. With little doubt, the Niners are in their current playoff position because of Garoppolo’s efforts.
Yet there’s still chatter about San Francisco bringing Garoppolo back (again) in 2023.
It does make some sense. Lance, now having missed two years of playing extensively, is still an unknown, and no one is going to crown rookie quarterback Brock Purdy as the franchise’s savior after he started a mere three games.
That said, Garoppolo needs to be shown the door, albeit in a friendly manner.
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He’s a free agent anyway, and the only way he’d re-sign with the 49ers is if he’d be guaranteed the starter’s job.
Whether it’s Purdy or Lance in 2023, the Niners need to go that route and not reopen the door with Jimmy G once more.
Let it be closed.
And with that, on behalf of everyone here at Niner Noise, have a wonderful and happy New Year!