Jameis Winston, Charles Woodson believe banged-up 49ers can make NFL playoff run originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Amid their ongoing bye week, the 49ers (9-4) currently have a 93 percent chance to make the NFL playoffs, according to The Athletic’s playoff simulator.

Advertisement

It’s almost a best-case scenario for a San Francisco squad that has been ravaged by injuries throughout the 2025 season. But one big question remains, even as the 49ers are close to being a lock for the postseason: Can they make a deep run in January?

Despite the season-ending injuries to Nick Bosa and Fred Warner — the team’s top two defensive players — two analysts on the “FOX NFL Kickoff” show expressed optimism when asked about San Francisco’s chances to go far in the playoffs.

“Yeah, I do, just because of the respect I have for Kyle Shanahan and what he’s done,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson answered. “Kyle Shanahan is the Andy Reid without Patrick Mahomes. When you think about it, Andy Reid in Philly — he was 130-93, went to five NFC Championship games, one Super Bowl, but he didn’t win it. They fired him. And he didn’t win Super Bowls until he got Patrick.”

Reid infamously was ousted by the Philadelphia Eagles after 14 successful seasons without a championship. But since partnering with Mahomes in Kansas City, Reid and the Chiefs have won three Super Bowls — including two over Shanahan’s 49ers.

Advertisement

“Kyle Shanahan, he’s taken this team to the playoffs four times, and every time he gets to the playoffs, he goes to the [NFC] championship game,” Woodson continued. “He’s been to two Super Bowls. The problem is, he either runs into Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. So if he gets to the playoffs, which I think he will, [there’s a] chance he gets to the championship game.

Meanwhile, fellow pundits Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman were more hesitant to back the 49ers because of those aforementioned injuries.

But guest analyst and current New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston detailed why he’s not as concerned about San Francisco’s banged-up defense.

“We’re talking about injuries on defense. Robert Saleh’s defense is a true bend-but-don’t-break defense,” Winston explained. “They are a sound defense. You add and place people in those roles. That defense is going to play great football.

Advertisement

“When the San Francisco 49ers have Kyle Shanahan, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Trent Williams, I got a lot of money on them. You can’t sleep on guys like that, because they’ve got Hall of Fame-caliber players.”

After all, the 49ers have managed to get this far in the regular season while dealing with a seemingly endless amount of injuries. Of course, the NFL playoffs are a different beast, so it remains to be seen if San Francisco can continue to overcome that adversity once it’s win or go home.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast