The San Francisco 49ers’ offseason has been tough on fans. But their most recent move sent a message that the team doesn’t think it’s contending window is closed yet.
The Niners locked in tight end and fan favorite George Kittle to a four-year, $76 million contract — with $40 million guaranteed — and that deal will keep an important skill-position player and fan favorite for the foreseeable future.
Niners fans watched 17 players depart this winter, including wide receiver Deebo Samuel (trade to Washington), linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga (each signed with Denver) and cornerback Charvarius Ward (signed with Colts).
But the 49ers are reloading rather than rebuilding, and that distinction should be keyed by Kittle, who will turn 32 in October yet led the Niners in receptions (78) and yards (1,106) in 2024.
 Still offensive
The 49ers are coming off an awful season, where they were besieged by injuries and went 6-11. That, coupled with the potential controversy with Brock Purdy’s still-owed contract extension –plus trade demands from both receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Samuel — have cast a cloud over their run of dominance.
The Niners have reached the NFL’s final four four times in the past six seasons and played in the Super Bowl twice in that span. They have not been able to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in either championship-game appearance and may have been passed by the reigning Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles for top dog in the NFC.
Still, signing Kittle, along with the team’s decision to not trade Aiyuk and reported commitment to Purdy, signals to the league that the Niners aren’t done, especially given their offensive weapons.
Aiyuk, who tore his ACL against the Chiefs last season, and running back Christian McCaffrey — who missed all but four games with Achilles tendinitis — expect to be ready for training camp, giving Purdy and the San Francisco offense a full complement of weapons to score points.
San Francisco is hoping to replace Samuel with 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, who played 11 games and had 400 yards, but also spent two draft picks on wideouts —Â Ole Miss receiver Jordan Watkins in the fourth round and Montana’s Junior Bergen in the seventh.
It also chose running back Jordan James from Oregon to account for 2024 leading rusher Jordan Mason’s departure in free agency.
Defensive overhaul
Locking in Kittle shores up the 49ers offense, especially since a lucrative extension to Purdy seems inevitable. But the San Francisco defense is being made over, just the way general manager and Pro Football Hall of Fame safety John Lynch likes it.
For all of their moves to bolster their offense, the Niners used their first three draft picks over the weekend on defensive players. They spent their first-round pick (No. 11, Mykel Williams) and second-round selection (No. 43, Alfred Collins) on defensive linemen and chose Nick Martin from Oklahoma State with the 75th overall selection.
Though much has been made of the Niners’ roster overhaul on defense, that unit was in need of an upgrade. They could blame their offensive struggles on injuries, but their defense ranked 29th in points-against per game (25.6) and blew a second-half lead in five of their 11 losses last year.
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