In recent years, 49ers GM John Lynch has spoken regularly about San Francisco’s roster needing to get younger, and the front office has made plenty of moves with that goal in mind.
But four weeks into the 2026 season it is the still plentiful old heads on the San Francisco offense that have powered the 49ers to a 4-0 start.
The 49ers were made to work very hard for their 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos, with their experienced cast of skill-position players coming through when it mattered.
Deebo Samuel
caught his third touchdown of the season to give the 49ers a 10-3 lead in the third quarter, before a Christian McCaffrey goal-line plunge and a spectacular 56-yard catch-and-run from George Kittle on a screen clinched the victory for the 49ers.
The scores by Samuel and Kittle sealed a unique piece of history for a 49er offense that, with the likes of De’Zhaun Stribling and Ricky Pearsall sidelined, is hugely reliant on ageing veterans.
Indeed, per CBS Sports’ Doug Clawson, the 49ers have 11 receiving touchdowns scored by players aged 30 or over. That is the most through four games in NFL history.
Kittle has accounted for four of them, with Mike Evans scoring two in addition to Samuel’s treble. Demarcus Robinson and Kyle Juszczyk each have one.
Of course, in an ideal world the 49ers would love to have Stribling, who was injured in his NFL debut and is likely looking a late November return, and Pearsall (out for the season) making key contributions and developing into long-term assets.
But this is still a team very much focused on the now and, for the time being, the 49ers’ veteran pass-catchers are a huge reason why they look like the best team in football through four weeks. You’re only as old as you feel, and the 49ers are feeling very good heading into their Week 5 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
