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The San Francisco 49ers are projected to be a playoff team in 2026 once again. But…what if they don’t make it? What if, for whatever reason, things go awry this upcoming season?

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The 49ers have done an incredible job of moving off former draft picks or free agent acquistions that haven’t worked out. There is undoubtedly some luck involved — like stumbling upon an aggressive playmaker at quarterback in the seventh round. But having multiple core pieces and supplementing those players with key depth has kept the Niners afloat this decade.

As long as Kyle Shanahan is at the helm, it feels like this team will always be competitive. We’ve seen injuries have their say and be too much for the Niners to overcome. Still, like in 2025, the team still found a way to make the postseason.

Despite being one of the most successful franchises since the current regime took over, San Francisco has yet to hoist a Lombardi trophy. In a bottom line business, heads tend to roll when you haven’t won the big one. This regime took over in the 2017 offseason. We’re coming up on a decade.

SB Nation’s Jarrett Bailey gave an explanation as to why the team would miss the playoffs:

San Francisco’s core is just too old, and you can never bank on them being fully healthy. They overachieved in 2025 despite those injuries, but a lot of that had to do with Robert Saleh calling the defense. Without Saleh, any defensive shortcomings will severely hinder the 49ers.

If that were the case, should the 49ers move on from John Lynch?