The San Francisco 49ers were tough to watch in 2024, finishing their campaign with a 6-11 record and in last place in the NFC West, marking the fourth time since Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017 that they won six or fewer games in a season.
Over the last few months, the team has made changes to their coaching staff and roster, including bringing back Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator and moving on from key contributors like wide receiver Deebo Samuel and cornerback Charvarius Ward.
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2025 will certainly present challenges to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy, who received a monster five-year, $265 million contract extension this offseason. However, at least two NFL analysts have a ton of faith in San Francisco this year.
In a recent poll from NFL.com, former NFL quarterback David Carr and NFL.com’s senior staff editor Brooke Cersosimo both picked the 49ers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they both had the Baltimore Ravens taking down San Francisco in a rematch of Super Bowl XLVII when John Harbaugh’s Ravens defeated Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers 34-31 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome (now Caesars Superdome).
Carr and Cersosimo both pointed to San Francisco’s health as big reasons that they get back to the big game.
“A healthy Christian McCaffrey turns in one of his finest seasons, while Robert Saleh brings discipline and stability back to San Francisco’s defense,” Carr said. “But the story of the year belongs to Baltimore. The Ravens prove to be the league’s bully this year, riding another MVP season from Lamar Jackson and a defense transformed by the emergence of rookie Malaki Starks. Baltimore wins a 30-27 thriller.”
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“A healthy 49ers team gets back to the Super Bowl for the third time in the Kyle Shanahan era,” Cersosimo wrote. “Standing in the way, however, is the best roster in the NFL and Lamar Jackson, who puts together a campaign for the ages and delivers on his draft night promise seven years ago: “They’re gonna get a Super Bowl out of me. Believe that.”
After a rough year, fans would probably be thrilled with a postseason appearance and a run that gets them to the Super Bowl. However, a fourth loss in the championship in 15 years would surely sting at least a little.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Super Bowl 60: 2 analysts pick 49ers to represent NFC