A number of players will need to step up if they want to secure long-term roles with the 49ers in 2025 and beyond.
“We’re going to find out who wants to be here the next few weeks,” defensive end Nick Bosa said in the immediate aftermath of the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
He was partially referring to linebacker De’Vondre Campbell’s decision to quit on his team in-game, but Bosa’s words also echoed throughout the rest of the locker room.
After all, at 6-8, the Niners’ chances of making the postseason are all but wiped out, meaning Bosa and Co. are playing for both pride and for belonging in 2025.
Bosa, of course, isn’t going anywhere next year. But more than a handful of his teammates could wind up either being shown the door this offseason or reduced to fringe roles on the roster, meaning San Francisco’s final three games on the calendar actually do have some considerable meaning.
For these three players, the final weeks of 2024 carry a lot of weight with regard to how the 49ers view them this offseason.
No. 1: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel
Aside from Campbell, no other player on the Niners roster this season has been under more scrutiny than wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who has been under fire for under-delivering despite public call-outs to get more touches.
Samuel’s 2024 campaign is a shadow of his immaculate All-Pro 2021 efforts, which has only been highlighted by the sheer number of injuries suffered by other offensive stars like running back Christian McCaffrey and fellow receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Carrying the burden of needing to deliver amid the attrition, Samuel has largely failed.
Therefore, it’s no surprise Deebo has been the subject of potential transactions this offseason, either would-be trades or a possible outright release, assuming San Francisco feels his best days are long behind him.
The final three weeks could help change the narrative.
No. 2: Safety Ji’Ayir Brown
Late in 2023, it appeared as if the Niners found a starting-caliber safety for the future in then-rookie Ji’Ayir Brown, who ended up starting in the wake of All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga’s mid-season ACL tear.
But Brown’s 2024 efforts have been anything but starting-worthy, and he’s watched his stock value diminish all the way to the point to being a mere backup behind a healthy Hufanga and a 2024 rookie, Malik Mustapha.
Now competing with journeyman veteran Tashaun Gipson for the No. 3 option on the depth chart, Brown has to show he’s capable of bouncing back into a prominent role despite what’ll likely be limited opportunities as a reserve.
Two years into a four-year rookie contract, San Francisco probably doesn’t have any intention of letting Brown go this offseason if he fails at this.
But, considering he was the 49ers’ top pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, anything less than a rebound would be a disappointment.
No. 3: Offensive lineman Jaylon Moore
Backup offensive lineman Jaylon Moore is in a little different situation than Brown, primarily because the former is a pending free agent this offseason and is pretty much viewed as a mere backup and little else.
However, with All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams poised to miss his fifth consecutive game with an ankle injury in Week 16, one that could potentially land him on season-ending injured reserve, Moore again has a shot to prove his mettle and long-term value.
What makes this more important isn’t just Moore’s prospects for re-signing with the Niners but also his value on the open market, should San Francisco ultimately decline the opportunity to keep him around on a new deal.
