There is not a ton of optimism surrounding the San Francisco 49ers right now. They are all but certain to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
But if one looks ahead to 2025, the grass looks much greener on the other side.
This year has been rotten for the Niners in just about every way. From personal tragedies for players and coaches off the field, to losing the Super Bowl, to injuries galore, it has been hard to watch San Francisco at times this year.
The Niners were due for a year like this, though. They have been the preeminent team in the NFC for four of the past five seasons, so they were due for a down year. After being lucky with injuries last season it makes sense that they have lost so many players due to injury this year. These things tend to even out.
2025 may not be as bad, though. Here are a few reasons why.
There won't be as many injuries, right?
Injuries are a random thing and there is no universal edict that a team will have good injury luck after a year filled with bad injury luck.
However, one added benefit to missing the playoffs will be that the Niners can finally rest in January rather than put their bodies through the ringer for an extra month.
Veterans like tight end George Kittle, edge Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner, left tackle Trent Williams, and running back Christian McCaffrey will definitely benefit from that extra rest. Williams, McCaffrey, and Bosa, in particular, may come back in 2025 feeling much fresher and more consistent on the field.
Come on, baby, light my fire
It is possible that after so many consecutive postseason heartbreaks for San Francisco, the fire to win may have dimmed just a bit. It is only human to be discouraged when the only ultimate result the team has know the past five seasons has been disappointment and failure.
Perhaps missing the postseason will rekindle the fire and passion that was missing from the 2024 Niners as a whole.
The 49ers are still a good football team at their core. They know that if they had played up to their potential in 2024 they would certainly be a playoff team.
Sometimes it takes a year of humiliation to get a team back on track and 2024 could be the motivation they need to do just that.
2025 schedule should be easier
Looking at it right now, it seems that the 49ers may have an easier schedule in 2025 than they did in 2024. Outside of their NFC West matchups, they are set to play against every team in the AFC South and NFC South, notoriously two of the weakest divisions in the NFL. Plus, if they finish the season in last place of the NFC West, that could mean they will face off against the fourth-place team in the NFC North, NFC East, and AFC North next season, which could set up well for them.
Of course, who knows how things will shake out next year, but on paper the schedule looks to be more advantageous. There should not be any hellish two-game stretch as bad as being on the road in Green Bay and Buffalo was this season.
Things may be dark for the 49ers right now, but it is not too hard to see how the team can turn things around and get back to being a playoff team in 2025.