The San Francisco 49ers are entering a critical stretch in their roster cycle after an up-and-down 2025 season, and the conversation is shifting from short-term fixes to what the team will look like in a couple of years.
While much of the focus has been on immediate needs such as the pass rush and wide receiver depth, one plugged-in voice has raised a more sweeping possibility.
49ers Could See Veteran Core Change By 2027, Insider Says
A veteran beat reporter who has covered the franchise for years says it is now realistic to expect that some of the most familiar faces from this era may no longer be in San Francisco by the time the 2027 campaign kicks off.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco recently discussed how the 49ers’ roster could evolve over the next couple of seasons, and he made it clear that he sees a significant transition coming. Without naming specific players, he suggested that several well-known veterans who have defined the team’s success under Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch may be nearing the end of their time with the organization.
Speaking about the longer-term outlook, Maiocco said, “I do think looking ahead a year, it’s very well possible that some of the veteran guys — who they are I can’t tell you — but I would think for 2027, it’s very likely that some of the big time recognizable names, the guys who have been instrumental in the 49ers success through the past 5, 6, 7, 8 years, I think some of those guys will be moving on.”
Maiocco’s comment does not identify any individual star or position group, and he is careful to frame it as an expectation rather than a report about specific decisions already made. The key point, though, is the timeline: he is talking explicitly about 2027 and about players who have been instrumental over “the past 5, 6, 7, 8 years,” pointing to the established core that powered San Francisco’s multiple deep playoff runs in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Maiocco’s remarks come at a moment when the 49ers are already facing a series of difficult decisions. The team, ranking fourth on PFSN’s Offensive Impact Metrics, is coming off a 12-5 season that fell short of its own championship standard and has been widely described as needing reinforcements in key areas.
That, combined with the natural aging of long-tenured players and the financial strain that can come with keeping a star-heavy roster together, is the backdrop for his suggestion.
For now, San Francisco’s front office and coaching staff are focused on addressing immediate weaknesses and positioning the team to contend again in 2026. But Maiocco’s warning highlights that a second layer of change could be on the way, not just at the margins but within the veteran core itself.
By his read, the 49ers’ long-standing reliance on a familiar group of stars is approaching a natural pivot point, and supporters should be prepared for the possibility that some of the most prominent faces of this era will be gone by the time the 2027 season arrives.
