After a dramatic roster overhaul this offseason, the San Francisco 49ers enter the 2025 NFL season looking to prove that last season's 6-11 finish was an outlier, and not a sign that their Super Bowl window is closing. With a retooled roster and a newly extended, high-paid quarterback under center, the pressure is on to bounce back.
Bleacher Report's Moe Moton recently evaluated the Super Bowl LX odds and ranked the teams under the most pressure to win it all, using a "pressure meter" that ranges from 1 to 10.
"The pressure meter is based on a head coach's job status, recent disappointing playoff losses, and the urgency a team should have before its Super Bowl window closes," Moton explained.
The Buffalo Bills topped the list with a pressure score of 10. Just behind them are two teams that scored a 9—the Baltimore Ravens and the 49ers.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has taken the 49ers to two Super Bowls since being hired in 2017, but has come up short both times. While he continues to earn praise for his play-calling abilities, the pressure to finally win a championship is intensifying. Moton warns that the 49ers' window may be closing within the next couple of years.
San Francisco was plagued by injuries in 2024, finishing last in the NFC West and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Adding to the urgency is the aging of some of the team's cornerstone players.
"At 29, running back Christian McCaffrey is coming off an injury-riddled season, and left tackle Trent Williams, who turns 37 in July, also missed several games last year," Moton noted.
"As two of the 49ers' top offensive players age with injuries, San Francisco's offense may undergo significant changes in the near future. Quarterback Brock Purdy must prove he can shoulder the offensive load."
While the 49ers secured Purdy, who is just 25, as their franchise quarterback with a five-year, $265 million contract extension, other veteran stars like tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner have to be feeling the clock tick. Their championship window may not remain open much longer.
For Shanahan, the next two seasons could be career-defining. Despite consistent postseason appearances and regular-season success—outside of a disappointing 2024 campaign—he has yet to bring home a Lombardi Trophy.
"With a veteran-laden team and a couple of recent Super Bowl losses, Shanahan and the 49ers must find a breakthrough," Moton wrote. "If San Francisco has another subpar year, its head coach may be labeled one of the league's most overrated in terms of how far he's led his team with top-tier talent."