Everything changed when the money hit the books. For years, the San Francisco 49ers operated on a "cheat code" budget, benefiting from the league’s most expensive roster paired with its cheapest starting quarterback. That era ended on May 20, 2025, when Brock Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension.
Suddenly, the math didn't math like it used to.
The Niners depth chart 2025 looks like a fever dream compared to the 2023 or 2024 versions. Gone are the days of keeping every single All-Pro. General Manager John Lynch had to get ruthless. You’ve seen the names that left—Deebo Samuel traded to the Commanders, Dre Greenlaw off to Denver, and Brandon Banks heading to Green Bay.
It felt like a gut-punch for the fans, but honestly, it was the only way to pay the guy under center.
The Quarterback Room: The $265 Million Man
Brock Purdy is the undisputed king of Santa Clara now. No more "Mr. Irrelevant" jokes. He’s one of the top-paid players in the history of the sport, and with that comes a weight that wasn't there when he was making $800k.
Behind him, the depth is… interesting. Mac Jones is currently the QB2. Yeah, that Mac Jones. He signed a two-year, $7 million deal in March 2025 to revive his career under Kyle Shanahan. It’s a classic Niners move—taking a former high-pedigree guy who struggled elsewhere and trying to squeeze some efficiency out of him.
💡 You might also like: Jake Ehlinger Sign: The Real Story Behind the College GameDay Controversy
The team also carried Kurtis Rourke, the rookie out of Indiana, though he spent much of the season on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. Basically, if Purdy goes down, the season rests on Mac Jones’ ability to not turn the ball over.
Offense: Life After Deebo
Losing Deebo Samuel was the biggest ripple effect of the Purdy contract. You can't pay everyone. Instead, the 2025 receiving corps shifted toward a more traditional look. Jauan Jennings stepped up as a primary "X" receiver, and Ricky Pearsall, the 2024 first-round pick, finally got his chance to be a high-volume target.
The Niners also snagged Demarcus Robinson on a two-year deal to provide some veteran stability. It's a different vibe. Less "positionless football" and more "run the route and win the 1-on-1."
- Christian McCaffrey: Still the engine. He's 29 now, which is scary for a running back, but he’s still putting up All-Pro numbers.
- Brian Robinson Jr.: Brought in to be the hammer. He and McCaffrey form a "thunder and lightning" duo that keeps CMC fresh for the playoffs.
- Isaac Guerendo: The speedster. He’s the home-run threat if the first two lines of defense get cleared.
The offensive line is where things get shaky. Trent Williams is still the left tackle, and thank God for that, because without him, the whole thing collapses. He's an 11-time Pro Bowler and basically a human skyscraper. But the interior? Spencer Burford and Dominick Puni are the starting guards now. It's young, it's cheap, and sometimes it's a little porous.
The Defense: A New Identity Under Saleh?
Wait, Robert Saleh? Yep. In this 2025 reality, Saleh returned as Defensive Coordinator. The defense moved back to a more aggressive 4-3 alignment, but they had to do it with a lot of new faces.
📖 Related: What Really Happened With Nick Chubb: The Injury, The Recovery, and The Houston Twist
Nick Bosa is still the sun that the defensive universe revolves around. But the Niners spent their first five picks of the 2025 draft on defense. That's unheard of for Lynch and Shanahan. Mykel Williams, the first-round edge from Georgia, was supposed to be the heir apparent to the spot opposite Bosa, though a knee injury landed him on IR late in the year.
The linebacker corps is where the "ruthless" part of the business shows. Fred Warner is still the heart of the team, an All-Pro who covers more ground than a GPS. But with Dre Greenlaw gone to the Broncos, the Niners are leaning on Dee Winters and rookie Nick Martin.
Martin was a beast at Oklahoma State—140 tackles in a single season—but asking a rookie to fill Greenlaw’s shoes in a playoff race is a lot.
The Secondary Shuffle
The cornerback room underwent a massive facelift. Charvarius Ward signed with the Colts for a massive bag, so Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir are now the primary boundaries.
- Renardo Green: Fast, aggressive, but still learning the nuances of the Shanahan/Saleh system.
- Deommodore Lenoir: The veteran of the group now. He signed a long-term extension through 2029, making him a cornerstone.
- Upton Stout: The rookie from Western Kentucky. He’s the primary nickel back and has been a revelation with his 4.44 speed.
At safety, Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown are the starters. It’s a very young, very fast backend. They lost Talanoa Hufanga to Denver, which hurt the "soul" of the defense, but the new kids are more disciplined in their deep halves.
👉 See also: Men's Sophie Cunningham Jersey: Why This Specific Kit is Selling Out Everywhere
Special Teams: The Old and the New
Jake Moody is gone. In his place? Eddy Piñeiro, who signed a one-year deal to stabilize the kicking game. The real story here, though, is Jon Weeks. The 39-year-old long snapper came over from the Texans and actually made the Pro Bowl in 2025.
Thomas Morstead is still booming punts at age 39, too. The Niners decided that if they were going to be young on the roster, they needed to be "ancient" on special teams to keep things calm.
What This Means for the Future
The Niners depth chart 2025 is a transition model. It’s the first year of the "Expensive QB" era. They finished 12-5, which is a testament to the coaching, but you can feel the margin for error shrinking. They don't have the depth they had in 2023. If a couple of starters go down—like we saw with Bosa and Warner hitting IR late—the drop-off is steep.
To stay competitive, the front office has to hit on every single mid-round draft pick. There’s no more money for "fix-it" free agents. It’s all about the draft and the development of guys like Puni and Guerendo.
If you’re tracking this roster for your dynasty league or just as a die-hard, keep an eye on the cap hits for 2026. The Purdy number jumps significantly next year, which means another round of veteran cuts is likely coming. Enjoy this version of the roster while it lasts.
The next step for any fan is to monitor the injury reports for the Divisional Playoffs. With Bosa and Williams managing "old man" injuries, the depth behind them—guys like Sam Okuayinonu and Austen Pleasants—will determine if this 2025 run ends in a parade or a "what if" video.