What can we learn from 49ers OTAs?

After representing the NFC in last season's Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers are once again poised as championship contenders for the upcoming 2024 season. The team has been to four NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls over the past five seasons. Success begets popularity, as evidenced by the remarkable presence of six 49ers players in the NFLPA's rankings of officially

The San Francisco 49ers have had success signing their big-name players to contract extensions in recent years, securing deals with George Kittle, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel, and Nick Bosa. However, that last one didn't get finalized until dangerously close to the start of the regular season. This year, the team has been trying to get a deal done with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. While the 49ers were confident early on, given their successful track record, that a deal would be reached, the two sides reportedly remain far apart in negotiations. Last week, Michael Silver of the San Francisco

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle joined the "Dan Patrick Show" and was asked a question he had not encountered before: What would he change about the strategy the 49ers deployed in their Super Bowl loss against the Kansas City Chiefs? Kittle didn't immediately have an answer. However, after reflecting on the game, he prioritized better ball protection, feeling that might have made the difference. The fumble by running back Christian McCaffrey during the opening drive is the one play that sticks out in the tight end's mind. "I think if we could [avoid] that turnover, I think that's a difference," Kittle stated. It's worth noting that Kittle had an opportunity to recover the fumble, which would have kept the football in the 49ers'

The San Francisco 49ers didn't have to sit with the sting of February's heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat for too long. That's one of the benefits of playing deep into the postseason. Before you know it, you are back at work, preparing for the next season. Two months after the loss, the 49ers reported for the start of the offseason program, which concluded last week with a two-day minicamp. Most of the players and coaches have moved past that game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but the memory of it serves as motivation for the 2024 season. That doesn't mean returning after the loss was easy. However, it's not the first time the 49ers have faced