Three Ways the 49ers Improve During the Bye Week
The San Francisco 49ers are not exactly having the 2024 season anyone was expecting. They head into the Week Nine bye week with a 4-4 record and second in the NFC West with two division losses. In two of those four losses, they had a two-score lead going into the fourth quarter. They had a somewhat tumultuous pre-season with a couple of star players holding out in wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and offensive tackle Trent Williams. Injuries on both sides of the ball haven’t helped either. Star running back Christian McCaffrey is yet to play a snap this season with Achilles tendonitis. They lost Aiyuk for the rest of the season in the Week Seven game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Stud linebacker Dre Greenlaw hasn’t made his season debut either after rupturing his Achilles in the Super Bowl. The injury list can easily go on without even including players who have missed a random game here and there. The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the team. Here are three ways the 49ers could improve during the bye week.
1. Get Healthy
As previously mentioned, the 49ers have been dealing with injuries to key players all season. Some injuries have prevented players from playing at all so far this season, some have been season-ending, and some have caused players to miss one or more games throughout the season. Players are constantly showing up on the injury reports week-to-week, but still end up playing through it. The bye week allows the 49ers to heal up. Tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, and cornerback Charvarius Ward have all missed time due to injury. They now have a chance to get their bodies right and ready for the rest of the NFL season. There’s also a chance that McCaffrey comes back after the bye week, which would be huge for an offense that has had some struggles getting into the end zone when in the red zone this year. Backup running back Jordan Mason has done great in his absence, but he isn’t the same pass catcher that McCaffrey is, and he’s also had some injury issues of his own. Physical health isn’t the only thing that the team can get right this week. Getting their mental health right is something that can be done during the bye week as well. The 49ers have made long playoff runs to include a Super Bowl appearance in the last few years and that mental fatigue can take a toll on coaches and players alike. There may have also been an issue of looking too far ahead. They were Super Bowl favorites coming into the season and they may not have been as focused as they should’ve been early on. The bye gives them a chance to kind of reset their mindset and focus. They know what they need to do, not just to get back into the playoffs, but to make another deep playoff run.
2. Get the Back-Ups Ready
With the injuries that the 49ers have been dealing with, it’s been a “next man up” mentality for them all season. Rookies have even had to step up for them at a moment's notice. The bye week gives the rookies and backups a chance to learn, understand, and settle into their new roles on the team. First-round pick wide receiver Ricky Pearsall missed some crucial pre-season time to learn after he was shot in a robbery attempt during the pre-season. With the season-ending injury to Aiyuk, he’ll have to step up and learn quickly to potentially fill a bigger role than anyone expected. The 49ers have a fairly complicated offensive scheme under coach Kyle Shanahan and with the NFL cracking down hard this year on illegal formation, it’s crucial that everyone is on the same page so as to not give away crucial yardage.
3. Make a Trade
The 49ers’ front office and general manager John Lynch have not been shy in recent years about making deals at the trade deadline. Last year, they made a move for edge rusher Chase Young to give Nick Bosa some pass-rush help. They also traded for McCaffrey near the trade deadline back in 2022 to give their offense a much-needed boost at the time. Coach Shanahan has said that they will explore every option at every position to ensure they have the best roster possible to make another run at the Super Bowl. With injuries and the team needing to put in some serious work to ensure a spot in the playoffs, don’t be surprised at all for them to try making a splash at the deadline, even if it is for a player who’ll be a free agent at the end of the year. They have just about $50 million in cap space this year to work with, but with quarterback Brock Purdy expected to sign a lucrative deal next year, a “rental player” may be the best option for the team. Positions they are potentially looking at include veteran wide receiver, defensive tackle, and edge rusher. The season-ending injury to Aiyuk and with Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Samuel having already missed games throughout the season, another veteran presence in the wide receiver room could be a welcome site for the coaching staff. The season-ending injury to defensive tackle Javon Hargrave could make them push for some help in that area as well. Adding an edge rusher would be extremely helpful down the stretch. Bosa and Leonard Floyd have been great this year, but it’s a long season, especially when you include the playoffs. Adding some depth at that position would keep them a little more fresh later on in the year.
