Three 49ers post photos of their new numbers

The San Francisco 49ers know who their starting safeties will be in 2023. They are All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga and 12th-year veteran Tashaun Gipson. Gipson, who is 32 years old, reportedly flirted with the idea of retiring this offseason before returning to the Niners on a one-year deal. The always forward-thinking 49ers used their first pick in April's draft, a third-rounder, to add a player they hope can be Gipson's eventual replacement—Ji'Ayir Brown out of Penn State. Don't expect Brown to simply be an observer on the sidelines during his rookie season while Hufanga and Gipson do all the work. The 49ers plan to find ways to get him onto the football field and gain valuable experience. According to The Athletic, the coaches plan to utilize some three-safety

The story of San Francisco's offseason is, has been, and will be the quarterback controversy between incumbent Brock Purdy and highly-drafted Trey Lance. Purdy, by merit of his ahead-of-schedule rehabilitation and the eight straight wins he was responsible for, is likely to enter the 2023 season as the starter. That makes Lance's role frustrating to decipher. To anyone not in the building, the dynamic playing out is clear as mud. There's no question that the standard in Santa Clara is winning. If Purdy offers the 49ers a realistic chance for a 12-13 win season and even odds should they make it back to the Super Bowl, Purdy's in. If Lance is capable of becoming a top-5 QB in this league and tilting that Super Bowl in the 49ers' favor, then he'll find a way to get out on the

The 49ers ended their offseason workout program on Wednesday with their final session of mandatory minicamp. But before they made their way out the door for the summer, the team gave fans and reporters one last dose of info in the form of the final media sessions of the spring. Among those speaking to reporters on Wednesday were defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, left tackle Trent Williams and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, as well as defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Each session produced some interesting tidbits, which we'll review in this version of 49ers notebook. Hargrave speaks Despite being the splash free agent addition of the offseason for the 49ers, Javon Hargrave had not met with the team's beat reporters in person before Wednesday.

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus went through all 32 NFL teams and picked a reason for optimism for each heading into the 2023 season. For example, last season's five-win Denver Broncos got a new Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton. Kenny Pickett could be ready for a second-year leap with the Pittsburgh Steelers (Hopefully, not in Week 1, though). What's the reason for optimism for the San Francisco 49ers? Sikkema admits that picking just one reason is challenging, so he went with the team's elite roster. San Francisco has stockpiled talented playmakers at almost every level. "Yes, their quarterback situation is still up in the air," wrote Sikkema. "But