We’ve been going all over this for the last few months: the 49ers are getting older. And while we discuss it in the comments, everyone else mentions that they are getting too old and beat up.
Is that much of an issue? It will be in a year or two if these last couple of draft picks don’t work out. I’ve been harping about finding a replacement for Trent Williams, even though that’s not exactly the way things work in the NFL.
Can it be done currently? Well, if the last two seasons are any indication,
yeah, maybe. In both seasons, the 49ers were inundated with injuries, and how they won the wild card game against the Philadelphia Eagles last season is still something I’m trying to figure out (oh, but its awesomeness can’t be argued).
Albert Breer mentioned the age as something interesting to watch in his latest column on SI.com.
The 49ers’ age is notable, and makes them as all in as their NFC West rivals in Los Angeles. Trent Williams is 38, Kyle Juszczyk is 35, George Kittle and Mike Evans are 32, Christian McCaffrey is 30, Fred Warner is 29 and Nick Bosa is 28. Can all those guys stay healthy? Do the Niners have a big swing left in them before the trade deadline to give them their best shot? It’s an interesting circumstance.
Do older players get injured? Sure. But that’s really the main thing: if they don’t get injured (and that might happen), then I don’t think anyone will care about how old the roster is. If they make another NFC Championship this season, age really wasn’t an issue, and this season was a success.
But going into the season? Same applies. I don’t really care how old the roster is as long as they are winning. The injury concerns are real, but it’s not like only the old players got sidelined last year and the year before that.
At the end of the day, it’s a question of whether the age of the 49ers is really that much of an issue or just a talking point for everyone talking about the 49ers. Only time will tell, I suppose. Are you that concerned about their age, or is that just a number at this point?
