With the NFL season just 100 days away, ESPN's Ben Solak published a list of 100 things to know—including predictions—as teams begin Phase 3 of the offseason with organized team activities (OTAs). Several entries highlight the San Francisco 49ers, from key players returning from injury to the impact of a now-expensive quarterback.
Revenge game brewing?
Among Solak's nine intriguing schedule notes was the 49ers' Week 12 Monday Night Football matchup against the Carolina Panthers at Levi's Stadium. This game had many fans questioning its worthiness of the primetime spotlight.
The last time the two teams met was October 9, 2022, before the 49ers acquired star running back Christian McCaffrey. This season marks the first time McCaffrey will face his former team.
"I'm not sure if McCaffrey actually holds any sort of ill feelings about the Panthers, but I guess we'll find out," Solak wrote.
A DROY candidate?
Solak also shared 10 bold predictions for the 2025 NFL season, urging readers not to take them too seriously due to the league's unpredictability. Still, one stands out for 49ers fans: first-year defensive end Mykel Williams earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
"If the 49ers unleash him as a pass rusher in a way that Georgia never did -- and if his left ankle is healthy -- he has a great pass-rush profile for early success," Solak noted. "He'll also rarely see double teams opposite Nick Bosa. A 10-plus-sack season is well within the cards."
Of course, Solak also joked that my sharing any of his bold predictions with the masses might make my phone explode. What can I say? I love living on the edge.
Injury comebacks: McCaffrey and Aiyuk
McCaffrey is back to full participation in offseason activities and appears on track for a strong start in 2025. But wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's status remains uncertain after suffering ACL and MCL injuries in October.
While Aiyuk is reportedly ahead of schedule in his rehab, the team might not be able to guess at a timeline for return until training camp.
Solak noted McCaffrey looked noticeably slower in 2024 than in his 2023 Offensive Player of the Year campaign, which is understandable given his lengthy recovery from Achilles tendinitis. His season ended on injured reserve due to a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury.
"It's hard for running backs' bodies to endure the level of use McCaffrey endured in 2023, but not impossible," Solak wrote. "We'll know quickly if his body has bounced back for 2025 after missing time for Achilles and knee injuries in 2024."
Aiyuk struggled early in 2024 after missing much of the offseason amid a contract standoff. Coming off a 1,342-yard season in 2023, he managed just 25 catches for a pedestrian 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games before his injury.
"There were some near-misses and rust to start the season, but Aiyuk still looked like a great separator on film ... before a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7," Solak explained. "With Deebo Samuel Sr. gone to the Commanders, Aiyuk desperately needs to return to form as a dominant WR1 after last year's face-plant of a season."
Brock Purdy presents new financial constraints
The 49ers' headline-grabbing move this offseason was signing quarterback Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension. While necessary, the contract reshaped the team's roster-building strategy and contributed to several key departures.
Some have framed this as the closing of the 49ers' Super Bowl window, but Solak isn't so sure, as he remembers this was always the plan. The quarterback who was to be part of the plan just changed.
"When the 49ers drafted Trey Lance with the third overall pick in 2021, they expected a quarterback to start getting expensive around the 2025, maybe 2026 season," he wrote. "Purdy is stylistically different from what the 49ers hoped to get with Lance. He's more of an extension of Kyle Shanahan's existing philosophy, whereas Lance was meant to be a revolution. But the cap sheets look similar; Purdy's financial arc is about what the 49ers expected with Lance."
In other words, the 49ers knew this day would come. The only surprise is the name on the contract. We'll just have to wait to see if their offseason overhaul pays off in the long run.
New No. 1 in town
It was revealed in March that second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will wear No. 1 in 2025, switching from No. 14—his rookie-season number. He wore No. 1 in college and didn't hesitate when the number became available upon Deebo Samuel's departure.
"Those are good vibes," Solak wrote. "The last 49er to wear No. 1 was Deebo Samuel Sr., the career 49er who was just traded to the Commanders. Those are spooky vibes. Jury's still out on this one."