The 49ers’ fall from grace after a year from making the Super Bowl is something that needs to be studied. Like there’s no way a team that had just made the Super Bowl ended up finishing dead last in their division. Hell, the 49ers weren’t even close to competitive in a season where they only managed 6 wins and a measly 2-game winning streak. Yes, you could say the pain of losing a second shot at a Super Bowl in 4 years was still there. (Twice to the Chiefs). But there were lots of problems elsewhere that actually crippled the 49ers season before it even began.
See All-Pro LB Fred Warner, who played all 17 games but 12 of them through a fractured ankle, pointed out the probable reason why the 49ers couldn’t get going. On his podcast, The Warner House, Fred singled out the issue of players missing the training camp. He specifically called out Brandon Aiyuk, who was on a contractual hold-in with the Niners. Yes, you read that right. Hold in, not hold out, because Aiyuk was there in the camp. Attended meetings and casually walked around. But he didn’t step on the field once with his teammates.
As Warner claimed, the coordination they needed to have with each other wasn’t there because players like Aiyuk missed camp. “He [Brandon Aiyuk] was not there all camp. Why? Because of a contract dispute, people were like, ‘Oh well, you know he’ll be back ready to go.’ I’m like, you don’t understand there is a level of competition that has to occur, and timing not only for me and Brock Purdy I am talking about as a team.” Things actually got worse between the 49ers and Aiyuk. Their star receiver reportedly had multiple agreements in place for trade. Of course, none of them materialized, but it would have surely taken a toll on the team’s unity. They started the season with a 0-4 record—that probably says it all.
Fred Warner kept it on the struggles the 49ers endured during the 2024 sesson
Via: @TheWarnerHouse_ pic.twitter.com/0CdnHHEcTZ
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) February 17, 2025
Well, after a while, the 49ers eventually caved in and gave Aiyuk a four-year, $120M extension. Aiyuk won the tug of war, but when it came to delivering the results, he struggled. Throughout his first seven games, until a torn ACL and MCL took him out against the Chiefs, Aiyuk never looked like a multi-million dollar receiver. He was average at best, crossing the 100-yard mark just one time, and eventually finished with 25 catches for 374 yards.
Now, there isn’t even a timeline for Aiyuk’s return. Ideally, he could be back mid-season because of the severity of his injury. And there’s also no guarantee that he still will be explosive.
However, Aiyuk’s return isn’t the only thing the Niners should be concerned about. They also have a tough decision to make regarding impending free agent safety Talanoa Hufanga.
49ers keep on playing with the idea of re-signing Talanoa Hufanga
Scooped up by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft, Hufanga has been an incredible player whenever healthy. Yes, his rookie season was a bit off, with him just mustering 32 combined tackles. However, his second season in the Bay Area was his breakout year.
Playing all 17 games, Hufanga racked up 97 combined tackles with two sacks and 4 interceptions. He went on to make the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro that season. But in 2023, an ACL stopped Hufanga from continuing his dominant showing as a safety. That ACL limited him to just 10 games, where Hufanga started all and had 52 combined tackles and 3 interceptions.
But those troubles with injuries kept on hindering Hufanga’s time on the gridiron. This season, he also missed the final 5 games because of a wrist injury. So, considering his dominant productions, whenever healthy, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton believes the 49ers will probably re-sign him before next season. “The 49ers know what Hufanga can do on the field, so they may give him another year to play through an entire season as one of their top defenders.”
But still, there isn’t any concrete approach from the Niners to keep Hufanga in the Bay Area. Maybe they are still accessing their options after a season where injuries dominated their headlines instead of wins.
The post Fred Warner Throws Brandon Aiyuk Under the Bus for 49ers’ Struggles as Kyle Shanahan Predicted to Re-Sign Pro Bowler appeared first on EssentiallySports.