Pro Football Focus (PFF) senior analyst Zoltán Buday recently ranked the eight last-place NFL teams by their chances of winning their respective divisions in 2025. Despite entering 2024 with Super Bowl aspirations, the San Francisco 49ers won just six games and missed the playoffs entirely.
Buday views the 49ers' disappointing season as an anomaly rather than a trend, attributing much of their struggles to injuries. That's why he places Kyle Shanahan's squad at the top of his turnaround list.
"San Francisco endured bad injury luck during the 2024 NFL regular season but should have every chance to get back into the playoffs and win its division in 2025," Buday wrote.
He emphasizes that the 49ers' success hinges on key players—like offensive tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey, and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk—returning strong after injuries in 2024 and remaining healthy. If they do, the team should quickly regain the high level of play fans have come to expect in recent years.
"Even though quarterback Brock Purdy is expected to take up a significantly larger share of the salary cap and Deebo Samuel may depart via trade, San Francisco still will have more than enough talent to compete for the NFC West title," Buday added.
That said, there are still issues the 49ers must address this offseason. Both the offensive and defensive lines need reinforcement, and Buday highlights another critical area of concern.
"The 49ers' biggest priority should be fixing their secondary, as cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Talanoa Hufanga are expected to become free agents next month," he noted.