Maybe McCaffrey. And Charvarius Ward, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and safety Talanoa Hufanga.
Why? Salary cap, health and age.
San Francisco Chronicle: 49ers’ draft approach made it clear: Their ‘Last Dance’ could get ugly
Kyle Shanahan’s team has a star-studded roster full of big personalities, prolific veterans who understandably have become fan favorites. Together, they’ve won a lot of games and made a lot of memories. They won’t all be gone after 2024, but make no mistake — a year from now, the 49ers’ depth chart will look very, very different.
SNIP
Shanahan, the team’s eighth-year head coach, and general manager John Lynch ultimately chose not to trade either Samuel or Aiyuk, essentially because they didn’t feel they were offered enough to make it worth their while. Instead, the plan is to kick the can and make a ferocious push for a championship — and then, regardless of outcome, deal with the fallout next spring (though they did select another wideout in the first round of the draft in Ricky Pearsall).
One of those receivers — likely Samuel — will be gone a year from now. Tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk could be sent packing, too. All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who’ll be 37 at the start of the 2025 season, may choose to retire, something he openly mused about doing 14 months ago. For all his awesomeness, Christian McCaffrey will be a 29-year-old running back with nine seasons of pounding in his past.
It doesn’t end there, either. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and safety Talanoa Hufanga are among the recent Pro Bowl selections who might be spending their final season in the 49ers’ defensive huddle.
Like (paywall):
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/michaelsilver/article/49ers-draft-approach-made-clear-last-19426640.php
Enjoy it while you can, BTW. Like you did the 2014-2022 Warriors. And the 2010-2016 Giants.
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