The 49ers‘ offseason has felt quite up and down. The free agency period kicked everything off with the Niners losing multiple crucial pieces, such as Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. Then, the team rebuilt its defensive front in the 2025 draft, which received mixed reviews from both fans and analysts. Most recently, the franchise extended three of its star players: George Kittle, Brock Purdy, and Fred Warner.
Even with the team bringing back the most important parts of its core, there are still doubts. Among those who feel this way is former 49ers safety Donte Whitner. He joined the Up & Adams show and shared his concerns about the team.
“I do believe that the 49ers’ window is closing. So many players are getting what they rightfully deserve, and that’s top contracts. But when you do that, you have to pay Brock Purdy, you start to reach for talent in other positions.”
Whitner certainly has some questions about the depth of this 49ers roster after these big signings. He would go on to address two specific parts of the team where he believes they lack talent.
Offensive Line
The first area he would go on to address is the offensive line. Whitner had this to say about the big boys.
“One of the position groups that they did not address was the offensive line. Yes, you’ll have Trent Williams returning, but the other four guys are really in question. And though Christian McCaffrey will be back, if there’s nobody that can block and positionally block and get it consistently up front, you’ll probably struggle running the ball.”
Whitner is correct that the only elite offensive lineman the Niners have is Trent Williams. This off-season, they lost Aaron Banks to the Packers, and the only signings have been Andre Dillard and Nicholas Petit-Frere. The group looks to be average on paper and is a less-than-ideal situation. Still, this offensive line is similarly talented to what we’ve seen under Kyle Shanahan, and the 49ers have reached two Super Bowls and four NFC Championship games in his tenure.
Loss of Deebo Samuel
Another concern Whitner has with the 49ers’ offense is how they will replace Deebo Samuel.
“You lost Deebo Samuel. Even though Deebo Samuel didn’t have his typical year last year, he was still a major piece to that offense.”
The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to the Commanders this offseason and didn’t make any moves that appeared to replace him. Samuel has been a star wideout for the 49ers with just under 6,000 all-purpose yards in 81 career games. His yards after catch ability will be something the 49ers miss next year.
While it’s a bit odd that the 49ers didn’t make a splash at wide receiver, we must recognize that Deebo struggled last season. He had just 670 receiving yards over 15 games. Pair that with the least efficient rushing season of his career and being ranked the 51st best wide receiver by PFF, and it makes sense why the 49ers felt it was time to move on.
Why the Window is NOT Closing
Donte Whiner certainly has some valid issues with this team, but at the end of the day, the roster, coaching, and ability to develop players are top-notch. The 49ers’ core remains mostly intact, and they addressed their biggest issue from last season – stopping the run – in the draft. Along with that, the 49ers have the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL, and it’s not particularly close.
It will be imperative for the team to develop its younger players into contributors as some of the familiar stars continue to get older. If they fail to do that, then yes, the window will close. But as it stands, the 49ers’ Super Bowl window remains open, and the roster looks recharged and ready to go.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Former Niners Player says “49ers Window is Closing” appeared first on Heavy Sports.