When the season ended for the San Francisco 49ers after their last win of the year against the Arizona Cardinals, players and coaches alike were left speechless in the wake of what occurred throughout the season. A perennial NFC playoff contender under Jim Harbaugh, the team suddenly lost its way and stumbled to an 8-8 finish thanks to their quarterback taking several steps back in his development. A win is a win in the NFL, but even though they won, you could not help but imaginatively hear the collective ‘sigh’ that every fan let out.
And they still had no idea about what was coming next.
Rumors had been building and gaining attention throughout the season that Jim Harbaugh and the front office were at odds with each other and could not resolve their differences. Even though Harbaugh took on a struggling franchise, that had not made the playoffs in eight years, to the playoffs for three straight seasons and a Super Bowl berth in 2012, it seemed that Harbaugh’s last season as the head coach had just passed. Even with a combined record of 44-19-1, the franchise would let go of the mastermind behind the 49ers ascension from the NFL’s basement.
So it would only make sense that they return to the basement after that mastermind leaves.
Fast-forward to the 49ers first offseason in three years where they were not in the playoffs and take away the head coach that got them there. What else could be going wrong?
Well, Patrick Willis decided that retiring at the ripe age of 30 was the best decision for him, Justin Smith decided he wanted to retire on his own terms, and rookie linebacker Chris Borland chose to retire after he decided that the risk of head injuries was not worth the trouble of playing the sport (good luck to all three great men).
By the way, the 49ers depended on these three players heavily this past season and definitely planned to do the same thing next season. An argument can be made that Patrick Willis and Justin Smith were the tough souls that launched that defense into top five contention. Ask any football guy and they will also point out that the rise of Aldon Smith can be largely attributed to the high level of play being displayed by Justin Smith, so Aldon’s value as a pass rusher may take a hit on top of the loss of a beast like Smith. The loss of Chris Borland, however, seems to be the definition of a low blow, which throws the team into a pickle after having to search for another starter opposite NaVorro Bowman, who did not play last season.
The team also needs to re-buff their secondary as it has also suffered some key losses. Did I mention that Frank Gore and Mike Iupati have signed with other teams and Michael Crabtree is searching for another home as well? All of this coming one season after Colin Kaepernick signed a mega deal that will have the 49ers cashed strapped for the long-term.
In case 49ers fans are wondering what that uncomfortable feeling is in the bottom of their stomachs, it’s the collective ‘sigh’ of every fan that shares your pain. No disrespect to the current head coach, Jim Tomsula, but having Jim Harbaugh at this point would have acted as a pain reliever to the situation. However, since that isn’t the case and both sides of the ball are in disarray after losing key contributors all over the place, there is only one way to get through this stomach gurgling painful point in the offseason.
Go buy some Pepto-Bismol and get used to the uncertainty of when the pain will cease.
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