The San Francisco 49ers fell just short on their quest for the Lombardi Trophy this season. For the second time in four years, they were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, 25-22 in overtime.
It was a very disappointing outcome for the 49ers, who saw a double-digit lead disappear with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense finding a groove in the second half. With their own offense stuck in the mud, the lead evaporated.
Heading into the offseason, there aren’t many glaring holes on the team’s roster. General manager John Lynch has done an excellent job of building up the roster, taking advantage of his franchise quarterback being on such an affordable contract.
NFL News & Rumors: Chase Young, 2024 NFL Free Agency, San Francisco 49ers Updates
That luxury will not last forever, as Brock Purdy heads into Year 3 of his rookie deal. Eventually, some difficult decisions are going to be made with the roster as the 49ers won’t be able to afford to keep everyone around.
One of those major decisions will come beginning this offseason. Defensive end Chase Young, who was acquired from the Washington Commanders ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline, is set to hit free agency.
Will the 49ers have the means to retain him? His free agency decision is the biggest one the franchise will have to make during the 2024 NFL offseason in the opinion of Nick Wagoner of ESPN.
“The 49ers don’t have many significant decisions on pending free agents, but Young presents an interesting case. The Niners gave up a third-round compensatory pick to acquire him and could get a pick back if he signs a big deal elsewhere.
But it seems unlikely that Young — who had 2.5 sacks, 16 pressures and a 13.1% pass rush win rate in the regular season after the trade — will get a deal large enough to bring a significant comp pick back to San Francisco. Which means he could be in for a short-term, incentive-heavy deal that the Niners could potentially afford. If he does leave, edge rusher once again becomes an offseason need, likely to be addressed early in the draft,” Wagoner wrote.
NFL News & Rumors: Chase Young, 2024 NFL Free Agency, San Francisco 49ers Updates
Normally, a team wouldn’t trade a third-round pick for a rental player, but that is the conundrum the 49ers are stuck in. Keeping Young, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft who had the fifth-year option on his rookie deal declined by the Commanders, is easier said than done.
His market may not be robust given the lack of production with the 49ers in the second half of the season. Some of the clips from the postseason that showed a lack of effort on players certainly won’t help his case either.
But, there are a lot of franchises that will have money to burn this offseason. Teams will pay a premium for players capable of getting after the quarterback, especially ones who have had elite advanced stats as Young has at points. Unless a one-year balloon contract is something Young is interested in, San Francisco will be tested in retaining him.
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