SANTA CLARA — Happy New Mailbag! These were the final questions fielded from 49ers fans via our 2024 social-media huddles, and they set the tone not just for Sunday’s season finale at Arizona but all that awaits in a gonna-be-their-year 2025:

Do you anticipate the extension talks to be drawn out with Brock or should it be done quickly? (@mressnathans)

The 49ers braced and budgeted the past two years for Brock Purdy’s much-deserved extension. His spate of elbow and shoulder injuries could necessitate contract safeguards. But obviously he’s owed a whopping, top-of-market raise beyond his 2022 rookie deal as the 262nd draft pick (four years, $3.7 million). He is eligible to sign a new deal as soon as the season ends Sunday night in his native Arizona.

For a historical perspective, consider two in-house trends: their past extensions for quarterbacks, and their recent contract squabbles with homegrown stars. Jimmy Garoppolo got a record extension in February 2018 only because the 49ers avoided having to franchise tag him (after just a five-game audition); Colin Kaepernick waited until June 2014 to sign his team-friendly extension; Purdy is under contract through 2025. Over the past five years, contract talks with entrenched stars have dragged through the summer and in some cases right up to the regular season, as was the case with Nick Bosa (2023), Brandon Aiyuk (2024), and Trent Williams (2024).

Prediction: Purdy’s deal goes five years, $262 million — to match his draft-slot number, and it gets done by the start of offseason workouts in mid-April.

How many more years does Trent Williams have left playing at a high level? (@devilgetgucci)

That is trickier to answer without knowing the extent of an ankle injury that sidelined him the final seven games. Williams re-enlisted before the season with a well-earned pay raise and an intention of playing four more years until he’s 40. That seems unlikelier. Retirement can wait at least a year or two.

Will Kyle and John finally invest early picks in O Line?? (@kmpark34)

Right tackle Mike McGlinchey was a 2018 first-round pick and five-year starter. Left guard Aaron Banks was a 2021 second-round pick and three-year starter. Those are the exceptions to their draft-weekend rule. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster said in May: “If they ask me, invest in guys that touch the ball, guys that can touch the ball and score touchdowns. And then there’s a range of guys, second, third, fourth round, fifth round even, that we will find starting offensive linemen in.” Such is the case with right guard Dominick Puni (2024 third round) and right tackle Colton McKivitz (2020 fifth round).

Biggest changes needed to return to prominence? (@joedemske101161)

The 49ers’ defensive front-seven must be infused with more game-changers, rather than rely solely on Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Bosa’s two sacks Monday raised his season total to nine, and 19 1/2 combined over the past two seasons; he had 18 1/2 sacks in 2022 en route to AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors and a record payday. The 49ers glaringly lacked the menacing defensive front — or complementary pieces next to Bosa — that’s keyed past playoff runs.

Realistically, do the Niners keep Sorensen? (@Truckeelocal)

The answer could depend on who Shanahan can hire to replace Nick Sorensen as the 49ers’ third defensive coordinator in three years (and fifth in six years). Jeff Ulbrich, a South Bay native and former 49ers linebacker, could be an ideal candidate as he finishes his term as the New York Jets interim coach in place of Robert Saleh, Shanahan’s original coordinator from 2017-20 who consulted for the Green Bay Packers’ blossoming offense after his firing by the Jets.

Despite Kyle Shanahan’s and Bosa’s public endorsements of Sorensen, the 49ers tumbled to near-historic lows with their porous run defense and a lack of takeaways. They’ve allowed a 100-yard rusher in three straight games and five of the past six games, after a 55-game streak without one. They’ve yielded 22 rushing touchdowns, three off the single-season franchise record and one more than the previous two seasons combined. They’ve gone six straight games without an intercpetion, and have 11 all season (after 22 last season). They’ve recovered one fumble in losing six of their past seven. That said, Sorensen took over a once-dominant unit filled with replacement parts, several of whom did not fit (see: linebacker De’Vondre Campbell) or made repeated errors with communication and assignments (see: secondary).

What team will Deebo play for? (@duanehere.bsky.social)

Odds are the 49ers, barring a post-June release to split his $31 million cap hit over the 2025-26 seasons. Samuel’s career is at a crossroads, seemingly having peaked in 2019. But he’s not done. Similar schemes might fit him best with the Houston Texans or the Los Angeles Rams. As a South Carolina native, he could have a homecoming with the Atlanta Falcons or the Carolina Panthers. The Tennessee Titans need help, the  Las Vegas Raiders are an historic outpost for ex-49ers with a bully aura.

Rank this year’s free agents by two ways: importance to re-sign and chance at re-signing. (@civi250.bsky.social)

Importance: 1. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, 2. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, 3. Offensive tackle Jaylon Moore, 4. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, 5. Left guard Aaron Banks, 6. Safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Likelihood: 1. Greenlaw, 2. Hufanga, 3. Tight end Eric Saubert, 4. Guard Ben Bartch, 5. Quarterback Brandon Allen, 6. Running back Elijah Mitchell.

Should the 49ers consider drafting Dillon Gabriel in the second or third round? (@NickGoulart1)

Save the NFL Draft hypotheticals for the coming months. But the 49ers should draft a quarterback every year in some round, as advised by the late Bill Walsh.

Do you think the 49ers will be extra aggressive in the 2025 draft? Being that they need “ready to start day 1” talent at a lot of different positions (@JWalizerJr)

Yes, but not as aggressive after their last losing season, when they splurged three first-round picks to move up in the 2021 draft for a quarterback not named Brock Purdy.

Michigan has another pretty good kicker. Do the 49ers … nah. (@skiswm.bsky.social)

Jake Moody (Michigan, Class of 2023) will kick in Sunday’s finale, according to Shanahan, who’d rather not go learn the name of a fourth kicker this season. Yes, Moody shoulders the blame for missing 8-of-18 field-goal attempts (plus Monday’s final point-after kick) upon returning from a gruesome high-ankle sprain. But should the 49ers have shelved him longer? Should they not have spent a third-round pick on this Michigan man who faltered down the stretch of his rookie season? Maybe all Moody needed was a game-winning field-goal try Monday night to redeem himself like in Tampa, to Deebo Samuel’s delight, right?

So what now? That’s the question (@KnickedupFan)

Burn your 2024 team calendars. Get excited for 2025 and the incoming season that ends with Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium. The Quest For 60? Print it on a shirt or stadium billboard. (Kidding, kidding)

May 2025 bring our team health. We need the boys to heal and come back stronger! (@cheribbear)

Indeed, and may our old acquaintances of 2024 please be forgotten and never brought to mind.