If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is.
This time, however, they may not be able to recover.
Losing a superstar of Fred Warner’s caliber is a blow that not many teams could endure.
That’s why, if the Niners want to make the most of their good start to the season and return to the playoffs, analyst Brian Baldinger said they have to make a trade before the deadline.
“If they want to be competitive, they got to make a move. If they sit and just say, ‘We’re going to develop our young guys, we’re sitting tight like that.’ No. Like, if I’m John Lynch, you got to make a move,” Baldinger said.
It’s hard to disagree with that sentiment.
Brian Baldinger on whether the 49ers should make a trade or not:
“If they want to be competitive, they got to make a move. If they sit and just say, we’re going to develop our young guys, we’re sitting tight like that. No. Like, if I’m John Lynch, you got to make a move.”
via:… pic.twitter.com/1orCRSgaj3
— Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) October 14, 2025
The Niners have put together a promising team with plenty of talent.
Nevertheless, they’ve spent so much money trying to win the Super Bowl again, but have fallen short with Lynch as general manager and Kyle Shanahan as head coach.
The organization needs to find a better balance between staying competitive and developing for the future.
The 49ers are well-coached, but they play in the NFC West, which is full of legitimate contenders, so they can’t afford to fall behind.
They have to take a serious look at their medical and strength and conditioning departments, as they have faced so many critical injuries, including the season-ending ankle injury All-Pro linebacker Warner suffered in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
