With the NFL offseason almost wrapped up and training camp coming to a close soon, it’s a good time to take a look at each NFL team’s offseason recap as we get just a few weeks away from the start of the regular season. Let’s take a look at the San Francisco 49ers’ new team and analyze the team’s incoming and outgoing players as they shape up for the 2026 season.
Despite an injury-plagued season in 2025, the San Francisco 49ers still finished the year 12-5 and made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. San Francisco’s offseason was notable as they’ll be getting many of their star players back from injury, as well as adding more talent on offense and within their defensive line through free agency.
The 49ers’ biggest offseason addition in free agency was bringing in veteran wide receiver Mike Evans on a 3-year, $42.4 million contract. Evans spent the first 12 years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and immediately becomes one of the most experienced receivers on the team with 13,052 career receiving yards and 108 touchdowns. Evans, 33, missed most of last season due to a collarbone injury, but will now get a fresh start with the 49ers and give quarterback Brock Purdy a new big target at receiver.
The 49ers further added to their receiving corps by signing Christian Kirk to a one-year deal and bringing back former fan-favorite receiver Deebo Samuel. Kirk’s production in the past two years has left much to be desired, but he’s only 29 and has a chance to kick-start his career again with a reliable franchise such as the 49ers. Kirk will start the season on IR as he’s returning from a calf injury.
After spending the 2025 season with the Commanders, Deebo Samuel returned to San Francisco on a one-year, $7 million deal over the summer. Fans will be happy to see Samuel return, and he also gives head coach Kyle Shanahan a familiar weapon who can line up all over the offense and has proven success within Shanahan’s system. The additions of Evans, Kirk and Samuel are particularly important considering receiver Ricky Pearsall was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a knee injury.
The 49ers also added defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa and are bringing back linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Odighizuwa was acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick, and he’ll bring experience and stability to a defensive line that struggled with injuries in 2025. The 49ers are also bringing back Dre Greenlaw on a one-year, $7.5 million deal. Greenlaw had his best career seasons with San Francisco in 2022 and 2023, but struggled with injuries in the past two seasons. After spending 2025 with the Broncos, where he played in eight games, Greenlaw is back with the 49ers and will hope to reform the dominant linebacker pairing with Fred Warner once again.
The 49ers didn’t lose too many players in free agency but lost notable names in Jauan Jennings, Bryce Huff and Kendrick Bourne. Jennings signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings and was one of the more reliable pieces within the 49ers’ receiving corps during the 2020s. After two separate stints with the 49ers, Bourne also left in free agency to sign a two-year, $10 million deal with the Cardinals. The losses of Jennings and Bourne were supplemented with the signings of Evans, Kirk and Samuel.
Huff was an important loss to a San Francisco defensive front that has undergone plenty of changes and injuries in recent years. He announced his retirement over the offseason, further forcing San Francisco to rebuild its defensive line group. The 49ers also lost edge rushers Clelin Ferrell and Yetur Gross-Matos in free agency.
The 49ers had a strong 2026 NFL Draft period, making a total of eight picks to deepen their roster. They used their first pick on receiver De’Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd overall pick. Stribling has game-changing speed, as he ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, and adds to the new bunch of receivers to pair with quarterback Brock Purdy.
The 49ers also had two third-round picks, which they used on edge rusher Romello Height and running back Kaelon Black. Height brings some much-needed depth to the 49ers’ defensive line group and should play alongside Nick Bosa and Keion White on the edge. Black will play backup to Christian McCaffrey, but McCaffrey does have a history of injuries in the past, so Black may need to step up if needed, especially with 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo entering the season on the Reserve/PUP list.
The 49ers’ offseason was largely focused on rebuilding their receiving corps and defensive line group, as well as getting back to full health. With Ricky Pearsall out for the year, the 49ers had to bring in new receivers such as Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, Deebo Samuel and their new second-round pick in De’Zhaun Stribling. Their receiver room certainly has a good mix of talent and experience, but Purdy will be tasked with building chemistry with each of his new receivers, as his only familiar pass-catching target entering the season is tight end George Kittle.
The 49ers will be ecstatic to be getting Kittle, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa all back from injury and to full health after they all missed time in 2025. The big question for the 49ers this season is whether they can stay healthy and whether their new defense can hold up. Their defensive line depth is a concern, and San Francisco is going to rely heavily on Bosa, Odighizuwa and Keion White to step up this season.
The 49ers didn’t have the splashiest of offseasons, but they also didn’t need to, as they already have a strong core that took them to the Divisional Round last year even with numerous injuries to the roster. San Francisco are still big favorites to be a winning team within the NFC in 2026, but competition will be fierce in a brutal NFC West with the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks and the new powerhouse squad the Rams built over the offseason.
Make sure to check out our NFL page for more content like this!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
