Refreshed 49ers setting tone early after missing playoffs in 2024 - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Standing before his team at its end-of-season meeting in January, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan's message struck a different tone than the one he had delivered after they fell short in Super Bowl LVIII the year before.

After a disappointing 6-11 finish, Shanahan knew that plenty of roster turnover was coming. He also knew that his team, which had advanced to at least the NFC Championship Game in four of the previous five seasons, was about to embark on an offseason with plenty of time to recover from the grind of the year, and fatigue would be no excuse when it reconvened.

Shanahan understood why his players were fatigued when they returned to work for the 2025 season after a short layoff. This time, however, there would be no such allowance for a team that missed the postseason for the first time since 2020.

«I talked about how the season ended the year before and how when I felt them all come back, I felt guys weren't ready to come back,» Shanahan said. «But I told them how I won't really understand it this year. Not that that was right or wrong, but I couldn't comprehend it. We're off five weeks earlier.»

As the 49ers prepare to wrap up the final piece of their offseason program this week — a mandatory minicamp Tuesday and Wednesday — it's been clear that Shanahan's message was received loud and clear.

When the Niners reported for the start of the offseason program on April 22, the vast majority of players on the roster were in attendance.

Within the first two weeks of Phase 1, every player had been present for at least one session. That included players involved in high-stakes contract negotiations such as tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner and quarterback Brock Purdy.