10 pitfalls the 49ers should avoid this offseason
It’s officially the offseason, with franchise tags, the NFL Scouting Combine, free agency and the NFL Draft playing out between now and the end of April.
The 49ers are already getting lots of advice on how they should go about the process of remaking their 2026 roster coming off a 12-5 season plus a wild-card playoff win.
I’ll go the opposite route and suggest what the 49ers shouldn’t do, rather than what they should:
1. Don’t trade for Maxx Crosby
It’s more pipe dream than a potential reality, given what the Raiders’ defensive end would cost both in trade compensation as well as salary. It’s doable, but more likely the 49ers don’t see the wisdom in committing so much money to their starting defensive ends, considering what they’re paying Nick Bosa.
The players would love it. I’ve heard unsolicited endorsements of Crosby’s motor and effort level from the likes of Bosa, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey and Fred Warner. Crosby even posted a clip of a video of a rap song that indicated he was buying a house in the Bay Area.
But the reasoning here isn’t about that. Take a look at Crosby’s snap counts. He’s in the upper percent each of the last four seasons. The fear is that at some point, he’s either going to start getting hurt more often or simply wear out and drop his level of production. Take another run at a much cheaper Joey Bosa instead or someone looking to end their career with a big year such as Khalil Mack or Von Miller.
2. Don’t sign Tyreek Hill
With an ACL tear and knee dislocation to recover from, there’s no guarantee Hill will provide the downfield threat the 49ers need when he was on the receiving end of 2-3 Jet Chip Wasp for the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 or, after that, the Miami Dolphins.
Plus there’s too much baggage, starting with the heinous way he began his NFL career. Hard pass.
3. Don’t trade Mac Jones
The question isn’t why would a team pay a backup quarterback with a cap hit of $4.98 million. The question is why wouldn’t they pay it? It’s the most important position in team professional sports. Jones saved the 49ers’ season last fall and Brock Purdy has already gone through a torn UCL, a shoulder injury, turf toe and a Grade 1 concussion. It’s not only possible, but probable that he’ll miss a game or two. Don’t assume coach Kyle Shanahan can wave his magic wand with every quarterback he comes in contact with. You want Brian Hoyer back? C.J. Beathard? Nick Mullens? Brandon Allen? Josh Dobbs? Didn’t think so.
4. Don’t draft a hybrid end/tackle with the first pick of the draft
I get the whole idea of collapsing the pocket from the interior. But too often the 49ers’ first inclination either in the draft or free agency is to get someone who can be a base end and then move inside on passing downs. It happened with Mykel Williams last year and he could be pretty good, assuming he recovers fully from a torn ACL. So were DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead. But with Williams, Alfred Collins and C.J. West, shouldn’t finding an outside rush threat to add to their pitiful sack total of 20 be more of a priority?
5. Don’t use the franchise tag
Probably not an issue where the 49ers are concerned since place kicker Robbie Gould was the last one who received it. They should be able to bring back Eddy Piñeiro without too much trouble on a contract longer than a year. No one wants to go back to the uncertainty every time Jake Moody took the field for a field goal attempt.
6. Don’t overpay for Jauan Jennings or bring back Deebo Samuel
Jennings has been a heart-and-soul guy for the 49ers and should be welcomed back at an affordable rate. The guess here is he gets lost on another team that doesn’t understand his value. Maybe Jennings and agent Drew Rosenhaus see that as well. But after the way the Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk mega-deals blew up, and with Jennings having a Draymond Green-like ability to cross the line on occasion, be careful with a huge money allocation.
As for Samuel, there appears to be some sentiment among former teammates about bringing him back at a reduced rate. But he hasn’t been an impact player since 2023 and he’ll never be as good as he was in 2021. The reality is Samuel’s value to the 49ers dropped the day McCaffrey arrived and he had a poor season in 2024 and wasn’t much better in 2025 with Washington.
7. Don’t look for a replacement for McCaffrey
McCaffrey being all things in Shanahan’s offense will likely not be duplicated. Seattle apparently isn’t going to use the franchise tag on Kenneth Walker III but he’ll be pretty expensive. Shanahan’s M.O. pre-McCaffrey was the same as his father Mike Shanahan: Find a running back in the weeds — maybe two of them — and split up the work. There aren’t any more McCaffreys.
8. Don’t obsess over the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks forever. That’s what it seems like, anyway after the way they won Super Bowl 60 at — horror of horrors! — Levi’s Stadium.
Kind of like the Eagles were last season after they had an impressive postseason that ended with a blowout win over Kansas City. The Eagles were eliminated by the 49ers.
Yes, the 49ers should keep Seattle in mind when building the 2026 roster. Seattle will be doing the same thing, and neither team will be the same as in 2026. There is no such thing as a carry-over. You have to do it all over again.
If you’re curious, Seahawks scheduled for unrestricted free agency include Walker, cornerback Riq Woolen, edge rusher Boye Mafe, wide receiver/return specialist Rashid Shaheed (remember him?) and safety Coby Bryant.
9. Don’t keep Kyle Juszczyk dangling on a string
Twice now, it’s appeared Juszczyk might be gone until he accepted a lesser deal. Maybe last year’s deal, which pays him through 2026, will mean a drama-free offseason. Particularly with Kittle likely out to start the season after an Achilles tear, Jusczcyk’s versatility at fullback will be important as the 49ers break in either a young tight end or splurge on someone like Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts in free agency.
10. Don’t feed the power plant story
Whatever measures are being taken to examine the effect of the viral electrical substation theory of the 49ers’ injury woes should be made public and then buried forever until the next social media nonsensical phenomenon. Then again, there are people who believe the world is flat and dinosaurs never existed, so maybe it never totally goes away.