Colin Cowherd just dropped a bombshell, saying the San Francisco 49ers look like they’re about to go full Thelma and Louise and drive right off a cliff this regular season. Forget “competitive within arguably the best division in football,” Cowherd’s pointing to early injuries, older stars returning from surgery, and even off-field drama around the owner, all cooking up a recipe for disaster. This isn’t just a tough start; it’s a fundamental question about whether they can even hang with the conference elite.
Banged Up & Old: The Roster Reality
Even after signing star wide receiver Mike Evans to beef up their receiving corps and bringing back Dre Greenlaw to solidify linebacker, the facts are grim for the Niners. Tight end George Kittle is still working back from Achilles surgery, though he might play Week 1. Running back Christian McCaffrey? He’s on a planned load management schedule during practice. Cowherd didn’t mince words: “This is an old, old team, oldest roster in the NFL, and almost all their old guys are coming off serious surgeries.”
We’re talking serious dependency on five older players here: Trent Williams, the left tackle, is 38. Kittle, a future Hall of Famer, is recovering from surgery. Nick Bosa is coming off his second surgery. McCaffrey, who led the entire NFL in 2025 with a ridiculous 413 total touches for 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns, is managing his workload. Even new guy Mike Evans is “often banged up,” and Fred Warner is off a surgery as well. That’s a whole lot of question marks for a team supposedly contending.
Depth Woes and the Rise of the West
And it gets worse for San Francisco when you look at their depth, or lack thereof. Their recent high draft selections are already falling apart. Ricky Pearsall, a former first-round pick, is out for the entire year with an injury. Mykel Williams, another “great young talent,” is banged up and won’t even be there for Week 1. Cowherd summed it up perfectly: “They are hanging on by peptides and a prayer.”
Now, here’s where it gets good for us in the Emerald City. Cowherd made it clear that compared to the “brilliant” drafting by our Seahawks and the Rams over the last three years,with “very few misses”,the Niners are seriously behind. He specifically called out those matchups, saying, “Those are four games the Niners go in as an underdog.” You love to hear it!
Despite a relatively easy start to their schedule after their trip to Australia, with home games against the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals, the tougher stretch is looming, including matchups against *our* Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Cowherd’s outlook? “I don’t think they’re a playoff team.” He might “love the coach” and “McCaffrey” and “the organization,” but his bottom line is they’re “heading right for a cliff.” With our Hawks looking primed and ready to face them in that more challenging stretch, the NFC West is about to get even more exciting. Get ready, 12s, it’s going to be a wild season in the division!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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