Are the San Francisco 49ers headed for a disappointing 2026 season? At least one anonymous NFL general manager believes so.

Jason La Canfora recently wrote for Casino.org about why the 49ers could struggle to recapture their recent success, pointing to an aging roster and several underwhelming NFL Draft classes.


Draft misses can have long-term consequences, forcing teams to rely on free agency to fill roster holes with more expensive veteran talent instead of replenishing the roster through the draft.

"I think they're in trouble," one general manager told La Canfora. "The 'window' stuff gets thrown around too much by you guys (in the media) … That roster looks old. They haven't drafted well."

Those comments came before head coach Kyle Shanahan's car accident left him recovering from multiple injuries. They also preceded the news that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall—the young receiver expected to start and potentially enjoy a breakout season—had been placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Several of the 49ers' cornerstone players have already reached or are approaching 30 years old. Left tackle Trent Williams is 38. The team's marquee free-agent addition, wide receiver Mike Evans, will turn 33 later this month. Tight end George Kittle is 32 and coming off a torn Achilles.

Star running back Christian McCaffrey recently turned 30 and is coming off a season in which he tallied a career-high 413 touches. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who returned to the 49ers after Pearsall's injury, is also 30.


"That's hearsay. It's not nothing," McCaffrey said of the chatter about his age. "That's why I approach it differently than I did seven years ago. I'm not naive enough to think you can just keep doing the same thing. But when it comes to Sundays and playing football, I love the plan we have and to just go out there and continue to work and get better.

"One thing I love about playing this position in this sport is you never have it figured out. Every day is a new day. You get to compete, you get to play, you get to learn, you get to grow, and that's the way I'm approaching it again this year. But I feel great, and I can't wait for this year."

Defensively, linebacker Fred Warner remains one of the NFL's premier defenders, but he is 29. Defensive end Nick Bosa will turn 29 in October.

One league evaluator believes the roster's advancing age has also cost the team one of the NFL's most valuable commodities—speed.

"Speed wins in this league, that's not a secret," one NFL advance scout told La Canfora. "You can't scheme it up … Kyle is one of the best with the headset on (calling plays on offense), but he can't overcome that roster."


Brock Purdy continues to face skepticism


Despite leading the 49ers to significant success early in his career, quarterback Brock Purdy continues to draw criticism from some NFL evaluators.

Purdy owns an impressive 104.0 career passer rating. With 147 more pass attempts, he will qualify for the NFL's all-time career passer rating leaderboard, where that mark would rank first.

Even so, not everyone believes Purdy is an elite franchise quarterback.

"You know he's never been a franchise quarterback for me," one longtime NFL general manager told La Canfora. "On pure ability, he's closer to a backup than a top-10 guy."

With questions surrounding the roster's age, recent draft results, and an increasingly competitive NFC West featuring the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl LXI favorite Los Angeles Rams, like others he spoke to around the league, La Canfora is skeptical the 49ers can approach last season's 12-win campaign or return to the playoffs in 2026.

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