In the 2025 offseason, the San Francisco 49ers made it clear where their priorities lie, and the most direct message came regarding their quarterback. Brock Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension, making him the highest-paid player in franchise history and currently the seventh highest in annual average salary across the NFL.
However, not everyone around the league welcomed the deal. Negative comments about the 49ers’ upcoming season continue to circulate in the media. One analyst even predicted that the team won’t make the NFC playoffs at all, calling for another underwhelming year from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and his roster.
Colin Cowherd Predicts 49ers Will Miss Playoffs in 2025
Last season was one to forget for the 49ers. After starting the year with a Super Bowl loss in February, the mood in San Francisco was one about a season that fell just short. It lingered throughout the 2024 season. Uncharacteristic losses, blown fourth-quarter leads, and a noticeable dip in performance ultimately led to a roster overhaul.
While the changes may have been necessary, they’ve also fueled skepticism among analysts. One of the most vocal critics has been “The Herd” host Colin Cowherd of FS1, who has remained consistent in his doubt about the team’s ability to overcome the loss key veterans.
He recently predicted that the 49ers will once again miss the playoffs. “So first of all, they lost Dre Greenlaw, (Talanoa) Hufanga and Deebo Samuel,” Cowherd said. “They didn’t really want to. Those are good players.
“The players they have now in offense get injured,” Cowherd said. “They have a sub-.500 record, Kyle does, without Christian McCaffrey. How many games do you get. They’re a sprained knee on Trent Williams at left tackle from having a bad offensive line.”
Colin Cowherd made his NFC Bold Predictions for 2025 and said the 49ers will NOT make the playoffs
John Middlekauff’s response:
“I don’t think you’re gonna like this, Colin. The 49ers are making the playoffs… I think Brock Purdy is gonna have a big year. I think Kyle has a… pic.twitter.com/Arx73xygqV
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) June 26, 2025
Criticism of Shanahan isn’t new. Around the NFL, the 49ers are known as a team that, when everything is going according to plan, can steamroll opponents thanks to Shanahan’s elite game planning. It happened in the 2023 season, when San Francisco secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Every one of their 12 regular-season wins was by at least seven points.
Once injuries start to pile up, though, the 49ers’ performance tends to drop. Last season, the offense dealt with significant setbacks, losing McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Williams, and even Purdy at different points.
While the offense moved the ball effectively, the 49ers struggled in the red zone. That ended up costing them games and raising more doubts about Shanahan’s ability to adapt under adversity.
The Volume’s John Middlekauff of the “3 & Out” podcast responded to Cowherd on “The Herd,” expressing confidence that the 49ers will have a strong season. He pointed to San Francisco’s relatively easy schedule.
Middlekauff emphasized his trust in both Shanahan and Purdy to bounce back. He sees them leading an offense that has proven what it’s capable of doing when operating at full strength.
“The 49ers are making the playoffs,” Middlekauff said. “You just talked about coaching, right? They have one of the best coaches in the league. They also added Robert Saleh back in the mix. I think Brock Purdy is gonna have a big year. I think Kyle has a lot to prove, and I just think based on the schedule, I don’t think it’s inconceivable to get 10 or 11 wins.”
The 49ers are projected to win 10 games in 2025, narrowly missing the NFL playoffs due to a tiebreaker within the NFC and finishing second in the division behind the Los Angeles Rams.
Despite that modest outlook, San Francisco remains one of the top candidates to go from last place in the NFC West Division last season to a potential playoff contender and, possibly, make a deep postseason run in 2025.
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