After years of attracting top free agents, the San Francisco 49ers shed salary last offseason, offloading several veterans while letting others walk in free agency as they looked to get younger as a team.
San Francisco ultimately made all 11 of their draft picks and saw several first, second, and third-year players step into bigger roles this season. Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, Upton Stout, and C.J. West all had significant roles as rookies, while Marques Sigle and Connor Colby were called up
due to injury.
From the 2024 class, Ricky Pearsall, Renardo Green, Dominick Puni, Malik Mustapha, and Tatum Bethune were all starters when healthy. From the year before, Ji’Ayir Brown and Dee Winters were both essentially starters when on the field.
With a core of stars that’s getting older, the 49ers need to continue addressing their holes with younger talent, and they’ll have an opportunity to do that again this offseason with seven draft picks.
But, with room to spend in free agency, could the 49ers look to sign some veterans in free agency this offseason?
When looking at the free agency pool this offseason, there’s definitely talent available, but the 49ers may not make a significant long-term investment into players like Trey Hendrickson (age), Alec Pierce (price tag), Tyler Linderbaum (need), and the top players on the market.
Instead, they could look to add a solid wide receiver (perhaps, Romeo Doubs?) and fill the rest of their needs looking for value with older players. On the edge, proven players like Khalil Mack or Bradley Chubb could be better and cheaper options in a rotational role rather than spending top dollar on options like Kwity Paye or Boye Mafe.
On the interior, most of the top options are nearing 30 (if not already). John Franklin Myers is the top free agent at the position and is 29. D.J. Reader, Dre’Mont Jones, Sheldon Rankins, and David Onyemata are some of the other top free agents at defensive tackle, and they’re all at least 29, with a majority being 30+.
At safety, if the 49ers are looking for more stability, someone like Kevin Byard could be the perfect short-term solution. San Francisco had a lot of options to play at the position in 2025, but none were very consistent. An upgrade there with a veteran seems like a good move.
Along the offensive line, the 49ers could also target a guard to replace Spencer Burford, who was very inconsistent after sliding into the lineup at left guard. While options like Zion Johnson are expected to command top dollar, the 49ers could look at a veteran like Isaac Seumalo, who has been a quality starter over the last few years.
Across the board, the 49ers could target more veterans this offseason as they look to reload and make a push in 2026. That doesn’t mean they need one at every position, but it would allow them to continue building through the draft while filling in the remaining holes with good short-term solutions.
