The San Francisco 49ers are set up to win now. In 2022, they ended up with a 13-4 record despite quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo going down for the season. The rookie Brock Purdy came to the rescue and helped get the team to the NFC Championship when he also went down with an injury. The 49ers lost many players in free agency but still have a core group of players that will be with them this year. Here is a look at the San Francisco 49ers state of the franchise for the 2023 season.
San Francisco 49ers State of the Franchise
San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle (85) – Stephen Lam/AP Photo
2022 Brief Season Recap
While the 49ers’ season started rough, they went all the way to the NFC Championship game. In week one, the 49ers lost against the Chicago Bears with Trey Lance as the starting quarterback. In week two, Lance went down with an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks that put Jimmy Garoppolo back in the starting lineup. Garoppolo’s first game back as a starter was against the Denver Broncos, and that game went about as bad as it could.
Garoppolo stepped out of the end zone, causing an embarrassing safety. It felt at that moment as though things would not be going back up for the team. The 49ers only lost two more regular season games after that. In week 13 of the NFL season, the 49ers faced the Miami Dolphins. This was the game Garoppolo went down, and Brock Purdy went in. The 49ers won out the rest of the regular season with Purdy and made it all the way to the NFC Championship game. Of course, the year ended when Purdy got hurt, and the Philadelphia Eagles ran over San Francisco’s offense.
Another key component of the 2022 season to look back on is the acquisition of running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey’s first game with the 49ers was against the Kansas City Chiefs, just a couple of days after his arrival. McCaffrey did not start but had some reps. Once McCaffrey started, the 49ers won their games.
San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance (5) – Daniel Bartel/USA TODAY Sports
2023 Key Losses and Gains
The 49ers, as of now, lost more than they gained in the offseason. Of course, this may work well for the team, but there were many business decisions that had to be made. Some notable losses are quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, kicker Robbie Gould, safety Jimmie Ward, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, and right tackle Mike McGlinchey. Garoppolo was a known loss, as the team was preparing to replace him when they traded for Lance.
McGlinchey was too much money to re-sign. The team ended up re-signing Colton Mckivitz for a cheaper deal. This is a situation that needs to be seen before completely called a loss. McGlinchey was a key run blocker but could have done better by blocking the pass rush. McKivitz has been on the team but was not a starter. Losing McGlinchey was expected; the replacement is what is still in question.
Jimmie Ward essentially lost his job in 2022 when he sustained an injury. Tashaun Gipson started at safety in replace of Ward and had a great year. This moved Ward to play at the nickleback position instead. Ward did well with the position switch but will not be returning to the 49ers. The team signed cornerback Isaiah Oliver in free agency, and he is expected to play at the nickel position. In terms of a replacement for safety, the 49ers drafted Ji’Ayir Brown from Penn State. Brown has reportedly already been showing off at OTAs, and the team has high hopes for the rookie.
The 49ers also gained Javon Hargrave in free agency from the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers needed another defensive tackle with Arik Armstead. While the team has Javon Kinlaw, in his years with the team, he could not stay healthy. Hargrave is an addition that can really help the team in 2023.
San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy (13)- Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
The 2023 San Francisco 49ers
The window is starting to close on this 49ers team. That is not to say these players cannot be replaced, but some of them may be leaving soon as a tough business decision. The team is stacked, but that means having to spend a lot of money on them every year. There were already some touch decisions made, such as losing Jimmie Ward. The 49ers are in a win-now situation; the remaining issue is the quarterback position.
Purdy has begun throwing again, which is a great sign for the beginning of the season. He will not be cleared to fully play for a while, but he is trending up. The team will also have Lance and Sam Darnold on the roster. Once that situation is figured out, the team can win. The next issue with the team is their health.
As long as there are no major injuries to the starters, the 49ers should be able to make playoffs. In other words, if Deebo Samuel ends up being out for three games, the team should still be fine. It is the major injuries that will need to be avoided. If this team is healthy, they should be able to make playoffs when looking at the state of the NFC. There is a lot of unknown, and San Francisco should be able to win at least 11 of their games.
In the last four seasons, the 49ers went to the NFC Championship three times and the Super Bowl once. The year they did not make the playoffs was 2020, when most of the team was hurt. The 49ers are a prime example of health is wealth. This team can go all the way; they need to stay healthy, play smart, and make sure whatever quarterback starts can complete passes.
