As Sidelinr Sports transitions to a new-ish schedule in parts, so too will my column this week. As I write, we’re about four hours from the kickoff to Super Bowl Sunday. Sadly, while the game is in San Francisco, the 49ers will not be there. So that got me wondering why, and what steps the 49ers could take to make it back to the Super Bowl in 2026? Let’s break it down…

My Hottest Take: The offense needs the most attention

Let’s start on the most difficult side of the ball, the offense. The vast majority of the 49ers star power is here, contained in players like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brock Purdy, and Trent Williams.

The problem? Most of them are aging, or coming off major injuries. (Or both.)

This 49ers offense has a ton of talent, and while Kyle Shanahan is at the helm, they’ll always remain a threat. Shanahan’s coached top offensive performances out of the likes of Nick Mullens and Jimmy Garoppolo, after all. He’s an expert at making chicken salad from…well, the other thing. But perhaps it’s time to give him better provisions to work with. This team needs a shot in the arm of pure adrenaline.

More than anything, it needs tone-setters. With Deebo Samuel walking away last offseason, Brandon Aiyuk disappearing from view, possibly forever, and Jauan Jennings set to be a free agent, three of the big standard-bearers for what’s been a wonderful era of 49ers football are unlikely to be suiting up for the team again. Couple that with McCaffrey’s ageing body and Kittle’s extensive recovery, and you’re looking at a side of the ball that badly needs some new faces.

It’s not just the skill positions, either, but you’ve heard me bang the drum about offensive line reinforcements enough. Trent Williams is holding that unit together by his 38-year old fingertips, and the team really needs to make a move to freshen and fortify things there this offseason, somehow. (TYLER LINDERBAUM!)

More than anything, though, I think we just need to see some new players come to the forefront. Just as Deebo brought attitude and hard-hitting, and Aiyuk brought no-nonsense blocking and speed, the 49ers need a new generation of offensive playmakers that do the same thing. They’ve got three young receivers in Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins, but in truth, for a variety of reasons, all three need to find a way to carve out their own roles on the team. It’d be nice to see a young playmaker at a skill position spot added this offseason, while also adding a couple of road-graders on the line, bringing in a new era of 49ers playmakers.

Let’s be honest, the team’s always been able to adapt and thrive in its glory years, transitioning from Solomon and Clark to Rice and Taylor to Owens and…well, that’s it really. Shanahan’s challenge is to do that again for a second era ofhis49ers, and some fresh new playmakers might invigorate the offense and give them a final push over the hill, just as William Floyd and Ricky Watters did in 1994, for example, or just as LaMichael James and AJ Jenkins didn’t after 2012.

As a final note, one player to look out for? Jordan James, the running back who’ll be entering his second season next year. He didn’t get to do much this season, but he looked to have something about him in his limited appearances. Someone who can provide a flash of lightning in the backfield would add a frisson of excitement to this offense. We’ll see.

What You Need To Know: The defense has a new architect, but the foundations are solid

Defensively, there’s a little less to do, at least in part because the work started last offseason. There’s some nice young pieces to build around, especially Upton Stout, Renardo Green, and Deommodore Lenoir, assuming he can find his best form again. There’s a little nucleus of defensive talent working its way through, and defensive phenoms like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner will return to the fold to buttress it. After that, it gets hard to predict what’s next, not least because there’ll be a new man at the helm, in former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.

He’s shown versatility in his schemes in the past, so it’s hard to pinpoint what he might think is needed. The only non-negotiables, really, are at two key spots – pass-rusher, and a ballhawking, intelligent safety. If Morris cannot find those solutions internally, he really needs the 49ers brass to support him in finding solutions to it this offseason.

Adding those pieces could well be the difference between a middling defensive unit and one that’s at the very top of its game. For a team so historically associated with the offensive side of the ball (and innovators at that), the 49ers best teams – certainly in my lifetime anyway – have been founded on great defense. It’s needed players like Fred Warner, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, and Nick Bosa to provide that. Hopefully, it can get back on that footing next season.

Before You Go: Special teams is fine (if everyone remains)

The side to give the least attention is probably special teams, which, barring one back-breaking play in the playoff loss to the Seahawks, probably had its best year in over a decade, and certainly its best under Kyle Shanahan. Kicking finally found its feet (ho ho) again, while the rest of the units were solid if unspectacular. It was a great season for Brent Boyer, and he deserves a lot of credit.

The trouble is, the following people are free agents:

• Eddy Piniero (the kicker)

• Thomas Morestead (the punter)

• Jon Weeks (the long snapper)

Along with various special teams contributors, including Siran Neal. It’s a unit that could be great- but only if the players remain. Morestead and Weeks are both older players (Weeks turns 40 in less than ten days), but there’s a lot to be said for stability. Piniero, meanwhile, might have been the best 49ers kicker since Robbie Gould, so he should be one of the first priorities to re-sign this offseason. Whether he is or not likely dictates my level of faith in the special teams unit going into next season.

So that’s that, do all those things, and the 49ers will be lining up in the Super Bowl next season. Easy stuff, isn’t it? Anyway, next week, I promise, I swear, we’ll take a look at the upcoming free agents. Unless I think of something else in the meantime …