Mark Schlereth gives 49ers’ fans a reason to be optimistic for the 2025 NFL season: “I think the 49ers win the NFC West”
The San Francisco 49ers missed the playoffs last year as they struggled with injuries all season, but this year there is reason to be optimistic in the Bay.
The San Francisco 49ers are have put last season in the rearview and have officially begun their rebound season after missing the playoffs last year. There are plenty of questions coming into this campaign, but Mark Schelreth says the answer to all of those questions revolves around one player.
Niners looking to bounce
Injuries plagued the Niners season from the start last year. Christian McCaffery was a late scratch to San Fran’s Week 1 kickoff against the New York Jets. They won that game but they lost four of their next 11 games as McCaffery was sidelined with an achilles injury until the BYE in Week 8. They still had a shot in the open NFC West but a four game losing steak to end the year killed any chance of the postseason as McCaffery missed the final few games with a knee injury.
The Niners star running back is now back to feeling 100% as he showed up to mandatory minicamp after playing just four games last year. Former player and current analyst Mark Schlereth knows that McCaffery’s health is going to a key to the upcoming season, and thinks that the Niners could win the division should he be healthy through the entire year.
Mark Schlereth on Christian McCaffrey:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) June 13, 2025
"I'll tell you what, if that dude can play all 17, cause I know what level he'll play at, the weapon that he is, what he does in the passing game, what he does in the running game, if he can play all 17, I think the 49ers win the NFC West."… pic.twitter.com/ryGJRCueCy
“I’ll tell you what, if that dude can play all 17, cause I know what level he’ll play at, the weapon that he is, what he does in the passing game, what he does in the running game, if he can play all 17, I think the 49ers win the NFC West,” Said Schlereth while on the Stinkin’ Truth Podcas.
New look Niners this year
McCaffery has shown just how impactful he can be since joining the Niners in 2022. He had back to back 1,000 yard rushing seasons in 2022 and 2023, scored 22 TDs and added another 12 receiving TDs. The Niners went to the NFC Championship in both of those years, and got to the Super Bowl in 2022.
Brock Purdy’s new deal includes $181 million in overall guaranteed money. https://t.co/NoivOyuAyr
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 16, 2025
That’s where they are going to try to get back to this year, and they will do it with their freshly paid franchise quarterback Brock Purdy who got a five-year, $265 million dollar contract this offseason. He will be without one of his favorite targets from the last few years as Deebo Samuel was shipped off to Washington. On the defensive side of the ball, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greelaw and Charvarius Ward have signed with new teams so the Niners defense is going to have a new look to it in 2025.
There are people talking about the Niners Super Bowl window closing after getting so close to a Lombrdi Trophy so often over the last few years. There are also people questioning if Purdy was worthy of the huge deal he got just a few weeks ago. The one thing people aren’t questioning is the impact Christian McCaffery will make if he can stay healthy.
Complete your personal details to comment