Despite an injury-plagued 2025 season, the San Francisco 49ers still managed to finish with 12 wins and added a playoff victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The roster showed resilience throughout the year, consistently overcoming adversity.
However, that toughness wasn't enough to match up with the Seattle Seahawks in the postseason.
As the 49ers head into the 2026 offseason, the focus shifts to closing the gap with the NFC's elite. NBC Sports NFL analyst Chris Simms recently joined Matt Maiocco on NBC Sports Bay Area to discuss where head coach Kyle Shanahan—a longtime friend of Simms—must strengthen the roster moving forward.
At the top of Simms' offseason checklist is the offensive line. He believes San Francisco must do a better job protecting quarterback Brock Purdy and revitalizing a run game that ranked 24th in the NFL last season.
Simms also emphasized the need for another dynamic offensive playmaker to support Purdy.
"We're coming towards the end of the Christian McCaffrey 'I'm in the prime of my career' era, right?" Simms said. "He's starting on the downward slope here right now. So, I do think receiver, explosive—because I don't expect Brandon Aiyuk to be back."
Defensively, Simms noted that the 49ers have begun to infuse the roster with young talent, which he believes will pay dividends in the coming seasons.
While Shanahan and the 49ers fell short of their ultimate goal in 2025, Simms remains confident in Shanahan's and general manager John Lynch's leadership. The duo has already guided San Francisco to two Super Bowl appearances. Unfortunately, they've had to face a generational talent in Patrick Mahomes both times.
"They're going to get it one day," Simms said. "I know that. I believe in that. I think he's too phenomenal. Him and Lynch have an eye for building a team. And then, of course, he knows the Xs and Os to get that team over the hump."