49ers overreactions: San Francisco needs to make trade to save 2025 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Not much seemed to be an overreaction in the aftermath of the 49ers’ 26-15 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.
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“There’s not much to sugar coat there,” coach Kyle Shanahan said during his postgame press conference. “I was really disappointed with how we looked for all four quarters. First half was unacceptable. Second half didn’t get much better.”
The 49ers own a 5-3 record as they near the halfway point in the season. And the past several weeks have shown them at their best and worst.
They looked bad in losing at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. But the 49ers rebounded with an impressive win against the Los Angeles Rams. Then, they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game that also saw Fred Warner sustain a season-ending injury. They bounced back with a strong showing against the Atlanta Falcons.
On Sunday, it was another low, as the Texans dominated them on both sides of the ball.
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And that tees up the fan base for another edition of 49ers Overreactions:
If this game doesn’t show the front office a need to make some moves for THIS SEASON, then the front office never had optimism for this year and we as fans need to curb our enthusiasm for 2025 (@CoachPhilRoss16)
Overreaction? Yes.
There was reason for optimism when the 49ers entered the season.
After all, this was a defense that had Warner and Nick Bosa, along with a mix of talented, young players. The offense consisted of Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey, and the prospect of Ricky Pearsall taking a big leap and the return of Brandon Aiyuk.
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So much has changed, though.
The season-turning injuries to Warner and Bosa mean this team is not just one player away from making a serious run at the title.
Assuming Warner and Bosa come back in top form for the 2026 season, there is no question next year’s team will have a better chance than the team as it is currently situated for the remainder of this season.
Yes, the 49ers still can make a push to improve their team before the Nov. 4 trading deadline, but it should not come at the expense of tearing away any resources for the future. If the 49ers make a trade, it should be for a player who is not just an eight-game rental.
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Mykel Williams pick is looking pretty bad!!! (@MeximelttUS)
Overreaction? Yes.
Rookie defensive end Mykel Williams turned 21 in June, and he has a lot of football ahead of him.
The 49ers were attracted to Williams because of his size, strength, youth, football acumen and versatility to play multiple spots on the defensive line. If you were expecting him to pile up a dozen sacks this season, you were destined to be disappointed.
If you look at the players who were available when the 49ers picked at No. 11, I’m not sure there were many options that would be doing much better through the first seven games.
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None of the other defensive linemen taken after Williams have been lighting it up, either. Miami defensive tackle Kenneth Grant has not done much. Atlanta’s Jalon Walker has similar production to Williams. Arizona’s Walter Nolen has yet to play due to a calf injury. And Cincinnati has gotten next-to-nothing from defensive lineman Shemar Stewart.
And hindsight provides no real answer on the offensive linemen the 49ers could have selected. Dallas’ Tyler Booker is not considered a good fit for the 49ers’ zone system. Grey Zabel, whom the Seahawks took at No. 18, is a fit. He’s had his ups and downs but will probably end up being a very good player.
While Williams has plenty of work ahead of him, the 49ers fully expect him to develop into more than just a good player. Will he? Who knows. But it is way, way too early to write him off.
If they were going to go 1-1 at Houston and at NYG, much better to win the in-conference game than the non-conference game. (@FrPBehm)
Overreaction? No.
The 49ers are in good shape in the tie-breaker scenarios. They are 3-0 in the division and 5-1 in the NFC.
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But a win is a win, and a loss is a loss. Teams cannot predetermine which teams they want to beat.
At 5-3, the 49ers need to stack as many wins as possible for the remainder of the season — whether the opponent is from the NFC or AFC — to make a serious bid at the postseason.
Play Mac as long as he stays healthy and increase his trade value. Trade him in the off-season for a high pick or an impactful player. (@EFFINaC0TT0N)
Overreaction? Yes.
Mac Jones has done very well after signing a two-year contract with the 49ers to serve as the backup to Brock Purdy.
He has been one of the most valuable players on the team through this stage in the season after starting six games in place of Purdy. Backup quarterback is an important role, and the 49ers are set for next season with Jones in that spot.
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It seems unlikely the 49ers would field a trade offer that even tempts them to deal him away for next season.
They could get the number one pick. They could win the super bowl. Still have no idea (@Official_C_E_D)
Overreaction? Yes, but …
The 49ers are not going to win the Super Bowl. And they are not going to be the worst team in football and, thus, get the No. 1 overall pick, either.
But we understand what you’re saying.
This team can beat just about any team in the league on any given day. They have road victories against the Seahawks and the Rams, a pair of teams that have combined for a 10-2 record in their other games. And although they have not lost to any of the absolute worst teams in the league, they did not look good in their losses to Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Houston.
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The loss against the Texans on Sunday was the game in which their reliance on so many backups and young players appeared to really catch up to them.
Perhaps, the upcoming game against the New York Giants will provide a better indication of what this team is all about.
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