After years of dominance in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers took a massive step back in 2024, going just 6-11 and missing the playoffs. In preparation for an eventful free agency period, the 49ers have already made a handful of notable moves ahead of the 2025 NFL offseason.
Entering the new league year, head coach Kyle Shanahan will begin the season with almost an entirely new coaching staff. Klay Kubiak and Robert Saleh will begin new eras in 2025 as offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively. Shanahan also brought on former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as an assistant head coach.
The coaching changes set the table for a flurry of roster moves that began with Deebo Samuel’s trade to the Washington Commanders. Following another disappointing year, San Francisco sent its longest-tenured receiver across the country in exchange for a fifth-round pick. The move gave the 49ers more flexibility in free agency, where they will have over $34 million in cap space, per Over The Cap.
Before the 49ers explore the market, their internal situation forces them to address the 23 unrestricted free agents from their roster. Regardless of who they can maintain, the 49ers will still need to take an aggressive approach in free agency, where they need to attack their biggest offseason needs.
WR Tyler Lockett
After trading away Samuel, the 49ers are going to explore the wide receiver market. They will still retain most of their receiving corps but are going to need to replace the production of a former first-team All-Pro. Ideally, that will come from 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall.
Under the circumstances under which he played in 2024, Pearsall’s semi-encouraging rookie season was part of the reason general manager John Lynch felt comfortable parting with Samuel. Both Pearsall and Samuel did their best work from the slot, a role that the Florida alum should now take full control of in 2025. He projects to start in the slot with Jauan Jennings and the returning Brandon Aiyuk on the outside.
Yet, even with their established trio of receivers, the 49ers might be tempted to add another veteran in free agency to absorb Samuel’s role. The recently released Tyler Lockett would fit that mold. Lockett, 32, has been one of the league’s most consistent slot receivers for the past decade with the Seattle Seahawks.
While Lockett would be a cheaper — and much more consistent — alternative to Samuel, the move cannot be made. If the 49ers are going to get anything out of Pearsall, they need to give him the opportunity in 2025. Assuming San Francisco holds onto George Kittle, Pearsall does not need to be a star, but he does need to produce more than the 36 receiving yards per game he recorded as a rookie.
Before Aiyuk went down in 2024, his uncharacteristic struggles were equal to those of Samuel. The two veterans’ combined inconsistencies allowed Jennings to surprisingly lead the wideouts with 975 receiving yards. It might be a daunting task to trust either Aiyuk or Jennings as the leader of the group in 2025, but Lynch has to trust in the roster he has built and give them the chance to mesh.
DT Javon Kinlaw
More than anything else, the 49ers desperately need to address their interior defensive line during free agency in the 2025 NFL offseason. They will have an abundance of feasible options but must avoid a potentially tempting reunion with Javon Kinlaw.
A former first-round pick, Kinlaw made the PFWA All-Rookie team in 2020. However, his lack of progression caused the 49ers to let him walk in free agency once his rookie contract expired in 2024. Kinlaw signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets, where he played the first part of the season under Saleh.
With the Jets, Kinlaw enjoyed the most successful season of his career. He posted career-high numbers across the board, including 4.5 sacks from his nose tackle position. After making just $3.8 million in 2024, many see him as a potential value signing in free agency, particularly with the name value he still has.
Despite Kinlaw’s success in Saleh’s system with the Jets, San Francisco cannot go down that same path again. Kinlaw thrived in pass-rush but struggled immensely against the run, which is what the 49ers need out of their defensive tackles. He received just a 50.8 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus, well below the positional average.
With Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd commanding the edges, pass-rushing is not what they need out of interior linemen. The main weakness of their otherwise stout defense remains their lack of interior run contain. Kinlaw is not that guy and shout not be the player the 49ers turn to in 2025 NFL free agency.
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