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ESPN writers predict bounce-back season for 49ers in 2021
Dec 30, 2020 at 7:00 AM
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The San Francisco 49ers roster is likely to look very different in 2021. The team will enter the offseason with 40 players scheduled to become free agents, unrestricted or otherwise. With a shrinking salary cap expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic, change is inevitable.
This season's plethora of injuries can't be dismissed as a reason for the defending NFC champions' downfall. Despite the upcoming roster changes, two ESPN writers believe the slump is temporary. We're not even certain a quarterback change isn't in the team's future. Although, head coach Kyle Shanahan offered
yet another vote of confidence in Jimmy Garoppolo this week.
Upcoming changes don't matter to Mike Clay and Field Yates, though.
"The 49ers will bounce back," wrote Clay on Wednesday as part of a
larger NFL prediction feature. "Considering how obliterated they've been by injuries in arguably the league's best division, how is it even possible that the 49ers have nearly broken even in scoring margin? A roster loaded with talent and a terrific coaching staff led by Kyle Shanahan is how. A healthy 49ers roster will have them well-positioned for a run at the NFC West title in 2020."
The roster is almost unrecognizable when compared to the starting lineup for Week 1. The 49ers are down to their third-string quarterback, C.J. Beathard, following injuries to Garoppolo and Nick Mullens.
Raheem Mostert,
George Kittle,
Deebo Samuel,
Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Richard Sherman, and many more of the team's stars were either lost for the season or missed significant time. That has contributed to a 6-9 record and dashed Super Bowl hopes.
"The 49ers will be back," added Yates. "We delve into hyperbole often, but I do not recall a team that has had the injury luck the 49ers faced in 2020, and that is not an exaggeration. While I'm not sure who will be their quarterback and while acknowledging they have a laundry list of important free agents, I do believe this team is primed for a bounce back to the playoffs in [2021]. The roster is deep, the coaching staff is fantastic, and the front office does an excellent job finding the right pieces."
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