ers Close a Resilient Season as Levi’s Stadium Transforms for Super Bowl 60
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As the San Francisco 49ers packed up their lockers and dispersed for the offseason, a striking contrast unfolded just outside their home venue.
Construction crews were already hard at work transforming Levi’s Stadium into the centerpiece for Super Bowl 60, a reminder that the league’s biggest stage is coming to Santa Clara next month—without the team that calls it home.
For the 49ers, the visual was painful.
A season that featured resilience, adaptability, and quiet excellence ultimately ended in disappointment Saturday night, when San Francisco was routed 41–6 by Seattle in the divisional round, falling just two wins short of a home Super Bowl appearance.
“It Hurt”: The Emotional Weight of a Missed Opportunity
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir captured the collective emotion as he arrived at the stadium Monday and saw Super Bowl signage already in place.
“It hurt,” Lenoir said. “Because this whole season I was telling myself, if we hosted the Super Bowl, we have to be there. So it hurts.”
That pain lingered throughout the building, but it was balanced by pride—an emotion head coach Kyle Shanahan emphasized to his team in the locker room following the loss in Seattle.
The message was not about what the 49ers failed to do, but about what they survived to accomplish.
A Season Defined by Survival
San Francisco finished the regular season 12–5, secured a playoff berth, and defeated Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round despite a relentless wave of injuries that would have derailed most teams.
The 49ers played eight games without starting quarterback Brock Purdy.
They lost star defensive end Nick Bosa and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner to season-ending injuries early in the year.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall missed significant time, and Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle suffered an Achilles injury in the playoff win over Philadelphia.
And still, the 49ers kept winning.
Brock Purdy: Perspective From the Center of the Storm
Purdy, whose season was repeatedly interrupted by injury, framed the year as something far greater than its ending.
“I really do think it was a special year,” Purdy said. “Given the circumstances that we were put in and dealt with and guys going down.”
He pointed to how quickly seasons can unravel in the NFL when adversity strikes.
“You see across the league that sometimes teams don’t really have what it takes to have these kind of circumstances and then push forward and make it to the playoffs,” Purdy said. “A lot of teams would have thrown in the towel.”
San Francisco didn’t.
Health Report: Encouraging Signs Across the Roster
As the offseason begins, the 49ers received a series of cautiously optimistic health updates.
Kittle described his Achilles injury as a “best-case scenario,” with doctors believing his recovery timeline will be shorter than typical for such injuries. While he declined to give a firm return date, the prognosis was encouraging.
Warner revealed that had the 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game, he likely would have returned from his broken ankle. With the season over, he will now scale back rehabilitation and focus on being fully ready for 2026.
Purdy confirmed that he will not require surgery on the injured toe that sidelined him for half the season, an important development as San Francisco evaluates its quarterback future.
Christian McCaffrey’s Historic Workload
Amid the injury chaos, one player remained remarkably durable.
All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey played all 19 games, leading all running backs with 1,010 offensive snaps across the regular season and playoffs.
At age 29, McCaffrey logged 450 touches for 2,314 total yards, carrying one of the heaviest workloads in modern NFL history.
“I think this was one of the most impressive seasons by an individual player ever,” Shanahan said. “The dude was unbelievable.”
But the usage raises long-term questions.
The previous two times McCaffrey handled similar workloads, injuries followed—three games played in 2020, four in 2024.
Managing his health will be one of the most critical challenges facing San Francisco in 2026.
Coordinator Uncertainty Looms
Stability may again be tested on the coaching staff.
The return of Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator helped San Francisco weather injuries and remain competitive, but Saleh is now a candidate for multiple head coaching openings.
Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak is also drawing head-coaching interest.
“They’ve been unbelievable,” Shanahan said. “Two as good of coaches as I’ve been around.”
Shanahan added that while he hopes to retain both, he would not allow Kubiak to leave for a lateral move as another team’s primary play-caller.
If either coordinator departs, the 49ers would be hiring their fifth defensive coordinator in five seasons, a troubling pattern for continuity.
Draft Capital and Free-Agency Decisions Ahead
San Francisco will enter April’s draft holding the 27th overall pick, along with projected compensatory selections: two fourth-rounders and one fifth-rounder.
However, the 49ers lack their own picks in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds, limiting flexibility.
Several key contributors are set to become unrestricted free agents, led by wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who previously sought a long-term extension.
Others potentially departing include defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos, offensive lineman Spencer Burford, defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, safety Jason Pinnock, special teams standout Luke Gifford, and returner Skyy Moore.
Backup quarterback Mac Jones could also draw trade interest after an impressive stretch as a starter in eight games.
Final Reflection: Painful, But Not Empty
The 49ers will not play in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium.
That truth stings.
But this season was not a failure—it was a demonstration of organizational resilience, depth, and culture.
Few teams withstand this level of attrition and still stand two wins from the sport’s biggest stage.
As the stadium prepares for football’s grandest night, the 49ers enter the offseason with unfinished business, painful motivation, and the belief that—when healthy—they remain one of the NFL’s most dangerous teams.
Next February, the Super Bowl comes to Santa Clara.
The 49ers intend to be ready when it comes again.
