The 2026 offseason has officially arrived in Santa Clara, and for the first time in the Kyle Shanahan era, the San Francisco 49ers are experiencing the bill coming due.
While the Niners managed a 12–5 record last season with injuries in abundance, they did so while watching their offense slowly dismantle. Now, with the new league year looming, general manager John Lynch faces a singular, existential question: How do you keep Brock Purdy, a $265 million quarterback, elite when his entire supporting cast is hitting the exit?
Let's dive in.
The most urgent priority before April is the decimated wide receiver room, as the situation has shifted from a need to an absolute crisis:
- Brandon Aiyuk: After a season-long holdout and communication breakdown, the team has confirmed he has played his last snap as a Niner.
- The Jennings Payday: Super Bowl hero Jauan Jennings is an unrestricted free agent. With a projected market value of $22.6 million per year, he may have priced himself out of San Francisco's plans.
- The Pearsall Question: 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall has struggled with injuries, leaving the 49ers with almost no proven, healthy production at the position.
Trent Williams' Timeline
It isn't just the pass-catchers.
Future Hall of Famer Trent Williams has confirmed he will return for 2026, but at 38 years old, he carries a massive $38.8 million cap hit. Before April, the 49ers have to decide if they will restructure his deal to free up space, or if they need to use their first-round pick (No. 27 overall) to finally draft his successor.
Rebuilding the Identity
Shanahan’s system has always relied on positionless playmakers who can create in open space, align up and down the formation, and break tackles. With Deebo Samuel currently a free agent (and rumors of a reunion swirling), Lynch has to decide if he wants to get younger and faster, or run it back with aging veterans.
With $39 million in cap space, the 49ers have the money to make a splash -- perhaps for a veteran or a reunion with Deebo --but they can't fix every hole. If they don't secure a veteran WR1 in free agency this March, the pressure on their late-April draft picks to perform immediately will be immense.
The 49ers have young depth on defense, but they are no longer the deepest team in the NFL. They are a team built around Brock Purdy, and before April, they have to prove they can still give him the correlating weapons he needs to win away from just Christian McCaffrey.