A rough offseason defined more by key exits than additions has left the San Francisco 49ers in a bit of no-man's land in terms of expectations for the 2025 season.
They still have a host of high-end players who should be able to spearhead another deep playoff run after last year's disappointing 6-11 finish. Depth is a major question mark though as the team aimed this offseason to reset financially which meant allowing several veteran contributors to leave. The result is one that will push the club to rely on draft picks and unknown depth pieces entering the year.
Another Super Bowl appearance feels like a long way off, but head coach Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday at the NFL's annual league meeting that his mindset isn't on the Super Bowl just yet.
“I don’t think about the season’s expectations," Shanahan said via the Mercury News. "I think about how good we can get in the draft and how many people we can add. Then you try to build it throughout Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3. It’s all about practicing and getting back to just focusing on that, not focusing on trying to make up for a Super Bowl loss or make up for anything. It’s about being the best football team you can be and nothing else. When I do believe we get to Week 1, I believe everyone in our building will be confident we can win that Sunday, and I believe we’ll be that the next week.”
The nature of the 49ers' construction will put even more of the onus on Shanahan and his coaching staff to have the team prepared by Week 1. There are still the foundations of a strong roster, but high-level coaching will be required to maximize some of the other talent they're likely to roll out in their starting lineup for the season opener.
If Shanahan has the team ready for Week 1 and they get a victory, it will help alleviate some of the tension created by the mass exodus this offseason. If they keep winning, the Super Bowl expectations will return. Should things go the other way, it may be awhile before the 49ers enter the Super Bowl conversation again.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan not worried about getting back to Super Bowl
