It's July, which means NFL fans are being flooded with offseason rankings as they wait for training camp to begin. The San Francisco 49ers are usually well represented in these lists, but that doesn't mean there aren't questions surrounding head coach Kyle Shanahan's roster entering the 2026 season.

CBS Sports' Jared Dubin took a different approach with his latest rankings, evaluating the NFL's best team infrastructures for quarterback success. His criteria included supporting casts, play-callers, offensive schemes, and other factors that help quarterbacks thrive.


Dubin grouped teams into seven tiers, ranging from "The Best Ecosystems" to the lowest tier, humorously labeled "The Dolphins," since Miami was the only team to land there.

Only four teams earned a spot in the top tier: the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Dallas Cowboys.

The 49ers narrowly missed joining that group, checking in at No. 5 overall in the second tier, "Very Good Environments." According to Dubin, health concerns played a significant role in keeping San Francisco out of the top tier.

"The Niners would be higher if we knew that they had a fully healthy George Kittle, but he's coming off a torn ACL," Dubin wrote.

However, that's inaccurate. Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles, not an ACL injury, and remains on track to return for Week 1. The outlook has been encouraging, as the All-Pro tight end looked healthy during his on-field work at Tight End University.


Dubin also raised other questions about the supporting cast.

"Kyle Shanahan is obviously one of the best play callers in the NFL," Dubin wrote. "Christian McCaffrey is the league's most versatile running back. But there's not much behind CMC in the backfield, and the pass-catcher corps is either unproven or aging even beyond Kittle."

The 49ers invested a third-round draft pick in running back Kaelon Black, who remains unproven but generated positive reviews throughout the offseason program. Second-year running back Jordan James is also expected to compete for a larger role.

At wide receiver, San Francisco added veteran playmakers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, though Evans is entering his 13th NFL season and Kirk his ninth. The 49ers are also counting on Ricky Pearsall to take a significant step forward in his third season while hoping young receivers Jordan Watkins or Jacob Cowing emerge as contributors.

"So the Niners end up here, just outside Tier 1 but also a good distance ahead of the next-closest team in Tier 2," Dubin wrote, referring to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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