With the finest roster in the NFL heading into 2024, the 49ers are focused on completing the task at hand after another deep postseason run that ended in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs for the championship. Under Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers have been successful in winning a lot of games and playing football well into January each year, but they have never taken home the championship.

The NFL’s greatest core is back, including Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Brock Purdy.

The biggest concern is Purdy’s upcoming extension. Starting quarterbacks are becoming more and more expensive every day. For pennies on the money, the 49ers are receiving quarterback play among the top ten.

What will be the 49ers’ greatest challenges in 2024?

Accidents

The 49ers were fortunate to have few injuries during the previous campaign; against Tampa Bay, only Talanoa Hufanga missed the entire campaign. With the exception of the season finale versus the Rams, McCaffrey participated in every game. Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel missed three. Despite suffering injuries to their core muscles, Kittle and Mooney Ward had outstanding seasons.

The team was mostly healthy during the season, but they did lose Dre Greenlaw and Jon Feliciano in the Super Bowl.

An attrition battle is football. The 49ers have a physical kind of football, and injuries are unpredictable. The 49ers will be in control of the NFC as long as none of their key players sustain serious injuries.

The NFL

The 49ers haven’t had any trouble in the NFC West as they continue to routinely defeat the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Los Angeles Rams. The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to be the team’s greatest rival, but that notion was disproved during a resounding victory in Philadelphia. Dallas tries but is never able to get in the 49ers’ way.

The teams that are narrowing the gap the fastest are the 49ers’ two playoff opponents. After making improvements in the offseason, Green Bay and Detroit came close to defeating the 49ers. The Lions, in particular, have a highly young and talented squad and gained Carlton Davis and further cornerback assistance in the draft.

Entering his second full season as the starting quarterback for Green Bay, Jordan Love has the potential to make even more progress. The teams that will probably make the playoffs are Philadelphia, Dallas, Green Bay, and Detroit, but the Packers and Lions are catching up to the other NFC teams more quickly.

The Chiefs

Levi’s Stadium will host the 49ers and Chiefs one more time during the regular season. Even so, the 49ers would not win the Lombardi Trophy again. To get over a mental block, they definitely need to defeat Kansas City.