PHOENIX \u2014 Those who closely follow the 49ers were advised to have their heads on a swivel during the NFL Annual Meeting.<\/p>\n
General manager John Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan and principal owner Jed York provided plenty of headlines over the past couple of days.<\/p>\n
The 49ers were among the most talked-about teams during the gathering of all decision-makers from each of the league’s 32 teams.<\/p>\n
Here are the top five 49ers takeaways as the 49ers conclude the first section of the offseason and shift their focus toward the 2026 NFL Draft:<\/p>\n
No hot seat for GM, coach<\/p>\n
Lynch and Shanahan are not facing any pressure from 49ers ownership entering their 10th season together.<\/p>\n
Shanahan has three seasons remaining on his contract, York said, while Lynch\u2019s deal is set to expire after the 2027 season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want Kyle to be here for a long time,\u201d York said. \u201cHe\u2019s been here for a long time and I want him to be here even longer. I want J.L. to be here for a long time.”<\/p>\n
Shanahan, 46, will pull even with Bill Walsh for the longest-tenured head coach in franchise history at the end of the season.<\/p>\n
And he said he is not ready to step aside any time soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love coaching,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cEven though I\u2019ve looked like I\u2019ve aged 10 years, because I physically have aged 10 years. But I still feel good. My family still loves it. I think they would kill me if I was home a lot more, so we got a good balance, and I love being with the Niners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shanahan and Lynch inherited a dreadful team in 2017 after coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke were fired.<\/p>\n
After going 10-22 in the first two seasons with Shanahan and Lynch, the team is 72-45 under their leadership over the past seven seasons.<\/p>\n
The 49ers have made the playoffs in five of the seasons with a 9-5 postseason record. The organization has not added to its total of five Super Bowl titles since the 1994 season.<\/p>\n
And, York suggested, this is definitely not a Super Bowl-or-else season for Shanahan and Lynch.<\/p>\n
49ers go with Evans over Jennings<\/p>\n
The 49ers were widely praised for their ability to attract veteran wide receiver Mike Evans<\/a> as a free agent after he spent his first 12 NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.<\/p>\n \u201cThings worked out with Mike,\u201d Lynch said. \u201cI thought we got him on a good deal. He really wanted to be a part of our organization, and that’s humbling.\u201d<\/p>\n The 49ers have overhauled their wide receiver corps from where it stood just two seasons ago. Deebo Samuel<\/a>, Brandon Aiyuk<\/a> and Jauan Jennings<\/a> gave the 49ers a formidable top three wideouts.<\/p>\n Now, they have Evans, veteran Christian Kirk<\/a> and Ricky Pearsall,<\/a> the 27th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Samuel, Aiyuk and Jennings face uncertain futures.<\/p>\n Aiyuk remains under contract to the 49ers. In spite of York\u2019s comments that he would like to see Aiyuk remain with the team<\/a>, that does not appear to be a possibility. The 49ers are holding onto his rights as they aim to get something in return for him in a trade.<\/p>\n One year after the 49ers traded Samuel to Washington, he remains unsigned as a free agent. Jennings is also unsigned, as he might have misjudged his value on the open market.<\/p>\n The 49ers and\u00a0Jennings failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension before the 2025 season. In signing Evans and Kirk for a price tag of a little more than $17 million total, the 49ers got two players for what they offered Jennings, a league source told NBC Sports Bay Area.<\/p>\n Taking health measures<\/p>\n Other teams might have sustained more injuries than the 49ers last season. But no team saw as many key players sidelined as the 49ers.<\/p>\n The 49ers have taken action this offseason to address the concerns of the players, who did not give high marks to the team\u2019s \u201ctraining room\u201d and \u201ctraining staff\u201d in the players\u2019 union survey.<\/p>\n The 49ers are in the midst of a $9 million project to improve the team\u2019s hydro-therapy area within Levi\u2019s Stadium, Lynch said. Also, the 49ers are adding to their training staff with the three new physical therapists coming aboard, Lynch said.<\/p>\n Also, Lynch said the 49ers commissioned a study with an independent scientist to determine whether there was any legitimacy to an internet conspiracy theory about a nearby electrical substation contributing to the team\u2019s injury situation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was basically a big nothing burger,\u201d Lynch said. \u201cWe\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/p>\n Lynch said the readings of the electromagnetic field showed the 49ers\u2019 facility was 400 times less than what is generally considered an unsafe environment.<\/p>\n The substation predated the 49ers\u2019 move to their Santa Clara practice facility in 1988, though the power from the substation was increased when Levi\u2019s Stadium opened in 2014.<\/p>\n Despite their recent history of injuries, that did not prevent the 49ers from adding players with recent injury histories this offseason. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw<\/a> returned after one season with the Denver\u00a0Broncos. The 49ers signed other players who missed time last season with injuries, such as Evans, Kirk, offensive lineman Robert Jones and cornerback Nate Hobbs.<\/p>\n \u201cIdeally, you’d always want to sign some brand new, young, healthy guys,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cBut that’s not what’s always available at the store.\u201d<\/p>\n Racking up the air miles<\/p>\n Shanahan did not even attempt to hide his lack of enthusiasm for the 49ers playing in Melbourne, Australia, in Week 1 of the regular season.<\/p>\n The 49ers and their opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, are located a short flight from each other. But both will travel approximately 16 hours to play a crucial NFC West game.<\/p>\n That is a significant con. Are there any pros?<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t see any,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cI mean, it’s cool for the league to play globally. I think that’s awesome, but as far as the team doing it, you know, there’s not much benefit to it.\u201d<\/p>\n The word at the NFL Annual Meeting is that the 49ers have requested a Week 2 game at home on Sunday night. Then, they have asked for a short road trip in Week 3 \u2014 most likely against Arizona or the Los Angeles Chargers.<\/p>\n Later in the season, the 49ers will play a second international game — this one in Mexico City. That game is expected to take place Sunday, Nov. 22. The 49ers have blocked Las Vegas and Denver from being their opponents, according to league sources.<\/p>\n As the designated home team, the 49ers want to maximize their advantage. The Raiders have a strong fan base in Mexico, and the Broncos would have an advantage in dealing with the high elevation. The Miami Dolphins are viewed as the favorite to serve as the 49ers\u2019 opponent, according to multiple sources. The league is expected to announce the entire NFL regular-season schedule in mid-May.<\/p>\n Williams big piece to offseason puzzle<\/p>\n