Some may feel the San Francisco 49ers offense downgraded during the offseason, particularly after losing wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Jordan Mason to other teams via trades.
Perhaps, but the folks over at Pro Football Network still view the Niners under head coach Kyle Shanahan as a potent group, especially if All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey is fully healthy after missing all but four games in 2024 due to a variety of injuries. And all signs are pointing to that being the case.
San Francisco enters 2025 with the No. 9-ranked offense, according to PFN's latest data projections, and that's fine. If you're curious, here's what they had to say about the 49ers' outlook heading into the new season:
"The San Francisco 49ers were the league’s best offense in this metric back in 2023, but injuries derailed some of what they wanted to do in 2024. Gone is Deebo Samuel Sr., but this remains a Kyle Shanahan-led offense with plenty of depth and now a well-compensated quarterback who may take on more responsibilities when it comes to winning ball games as opposed to not losing them.
Don’t sleep on San Francisco after a down year."
Sounds logical. But, you might be surprised at which NFC West rival actually ranks higher than the Niners on PFN's list.
NFC West rival offense surprisingly ranks higher than 49ers
Upon first glance, you might think the Los Angeles Rams could feasibly be ahead of San Francisco on PFN's offensive rankings. After all, L.A. upgraded at wide receiver by bidding farewell to the oft-injured Cooper Kupp and onboarding perennial Pro Bowler Davante Adams during the offseason.
But, no. Los Angeles is actually ranked 11th.
Instead, the Arizona Cardinals came in ahead of the 49ers, ranked at No. 5 overall. And here's what PFN had to say about the placement:
"In a league that wants points on the board, grading out well in Offense+ typically is tied to victories, but the Arizona Cardinals were an exception last season.
From a results perspective, Arizona’s fans deserved more, given the potency of its offense. It seems more likely that the Cardinals will take a step forward on that side of the ball than a step back as Marvin Harrison Jr. looks to live up to the lofty expectations that he only flirted with a season ago."
Interesting.
OK, so Arizona boasted the 12th-best scoring offense a year ago, and Harrison certainly seems poised for a true breakout season alongside stud tight end Trey McBride. But, buying into the notion of an offensive powerhouse behind quarterback Kyler Murray seems way too far-fetched.
Unless Murray has a career season with Harrison earning Offensive Player of the Year honors, this placement seems way too lofty.