The San Francisco 49ers are getting back two of their offensive weapons on Sunday when they face the Arizona Cardinals—QB Brock Purdy and WR Ricky Pearsall. This will likely be the healthiest the offense has been this season. And the 49ers will need them to be that way because the defense is banged up and has been struggling.
We opened up the 49ers Webzone Mailbag to see what was on your mind following San Francisco's loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week. You asked some great questions, as always. Let's jump in and take a look.
How can Saleh fix this defense? - Paul F.
The biggest issue with Robert Saleh's defense this year has been the many injuries. Losing All-Pro Nick Bosa and future Hall of Famer Fred Warner is never going to make your defense better. On top of that, the defense has suffered multiple other injuries. If the defense can get healthy for next season, they should be a great unit, considering all those rookies will be a year more experienced.
But for this season, Saleh and the 49ers are just going to have to hope that the young players continue to improve, and the offense can score enough to squeak out some wins. If they can somehow find a pass rush, that will help, especially in the secondary.
I'd really like to see what Pearsall can add to the O. Any idea when you think he'll be back? - Andy G.
Pearsall is slated to return Sunday against Arizona. I'm not sure how much he will play. Maybe he'll start the game and play most of the snaps. But I tend to think the coaching staff will ease him back in. After all, he's missed the past six games.
But once he's fully healthy and back in game shape, Pearsall is a dangerous weapon for the 49ers. He runs excellent routes and catches everything thrown his way. He and Purdy had a great connection before both left the lineup with injuries.
In looking at the respective schedules, can the 49ers catch the Seahawks and the Rams in the standings? Do the 49ers need to run the table for the last seven games to make it happen? - Ed H.
Yes, I believe the 49ers can still catch the Seahawks and Rams and win the division. I'm not sure how likely it is, considering how strong those other two teams look right now. But the schedule favors the 49ers. Their toughest games ahead are against the Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts. So the 49ers will probably not run the table and win the remainder of their games.
But yes, the 49ers can still catch the Seahawks and Rams. But they will need to win almost all of their games, and hope the others stumble along the way.
What will happen with Mac Jones this offseason? - Bill D.
There have been some national media reports this week that have suggested Mac Jones will have suitors this offseason and that the 49ers could trade him away. If San Francisco can land a good pick, say a first or early second-rounder, then it's plausible John Lynch would trade him. I'm just not sure they can get that, especially a first-rounder.
But if the pick isn't good enough, why risk it? In Jones, you have a QB who can win you games. They've shown that this season. If they trade Jones, and Purdy misses time next season, who will lead the team, and will they be as good as Jones?
The 49ers have talked like 2026 will be the year they are back in contention. Do you want a possible Super Bowl run to come down to a young, untested quarterback like Kurtis Rourke?
Two-part question: First, do you think this will be Trent's last year? Secondly, regardless of the answer, do you see offensive line help being a priority in the draft next year? - Will S.
I don't think this will be Trent Williams' last season. He hasn't hinted at retirement in the offseason, and he's been healthier this year than in seasons past. I bet he'll return for one more.
As for offensive line being a priority this off-season, I certainly believe and hope that it will be. The 49ers need to make multiple big investments in the offensive line, whether in free agency or the draft. And I kind of doubt it happens in free agency. Perhaps they will swing another trade like they did when they landed Williams. Or maybe they will trade Jones for Williams' replacement.
What do you think is realistic in terms of fixing the D line? Free agency, poaching off other teams' practices squads, trying Valdez at DE? - Andy G.
For this season? I'm not sure there's much they can do for the 2025 season. Any free agent still out there is unlikely to make much of an impact. Same thing with grabbing a player off of another team's practice squad. That's more of a move for the future, especially at this point.
But if you're asking what they can do for 2026, the plan will likely be to develop the rookies they drafted this year. They invested a lot last spring in the defensive line. They can't afford to move on from that group and start bringing in others. They need to develop the ones they have.
I'm no defensive line expert, but I don't see Sebastian Valdez being someone they would put on the edge. I could certainly be wrong, but his size and strength make me believe they will keep him on the inside. I'm just not sure what they can get from him this season.
That's all we have for this edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. We will be back with a new one next week. Thanks for your questions, and thank you for reading.
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