Jordan Watkins · SF

Brian Robinson

RB · ATL

Skyy Moore

WR · GB

+4 players

general

The 49ers had the highest total in this metric dating back to 2017: It’s better to be lucky than good

Yahoo Sports NFLJul 16, 2026, 9:02 PM+2 stories · 30dSource ↗

Brian Robinson Skyy Moore Jacob Cowing

Even when the San Francisco 49ers had a historic 2023 season offensively, they ranked 25th in DVOA in special teams. They were bottom-three in net kickoff and punt returns. You didn’t notice the poor field position or sloppy returns because you knew the offense would make up for it and get to midfield in a matter of plays. In a mess of a 2024 season, the special teams units finished 31st in DVOA. Field goal, kickoff, kickoff return, and punt teams were all in the bottom five. Calling those units a mess is letting them off lightly. Last season felt like the first time under Kyle Shanahan that the 49ers were competent in multiple areas on special teams. According to DVOA, they were the fifth-best team on kickoff returns. Brian Robinson Jr. averaged 29.1 yards per return. Skyy Moore averaged 27.5 yards. Neither is on the roster. Jacob Cowing ? Jordan Watkins ? Those two were the returners at OTAs, along with undrafted free agent Will Pauling. Would Shanahan allow rookie Kaelon Black? He did it a handful of times during college. Black’s explosive ability would be tempting to throw him out there. The 49ers were also the ninth-best punt return team last year, thanks to Moore. It has been a struggle to find a punt returner under Shanahan. They’ve tried just about everybody, but nobody has stuck. At first, Moore felt like he had just as much of a chance to muff the punt as he would return it. His decision-making was questionable at best before he turned a corner. It’s probably Watkins’ job to lose this season. For as bad as the 49ers’ injuries were in 2025, they were equally as lucky on special teams. You know things are going your way when you block an extra point. That happened in Week 5 against the Rams . The 49ers’ opponents lost 20.5 points of value on field goals last year. They were comically bad. We’re not sure what kind of sorcery Shanahan used. Maybe it was the football gods’ way of evening things out with injuries. The 49ers’ opponents made 21 of 32 field goals last year. That is 20% below the league average. None of those field goal attempts were blocked. Just misses. As unexplainable as that is, it’s not something the team can bank on moving forward. The 49ers led the league in hidden points a year ago, in large part due to their opponents’ blunders. We have to give credit where it’s due. Eddy Pineiro’s only miss was a rushed 64-yard attempt before halftime in Week 17. That consistency, paired with the other team’s kickers, led the 49ers to having the highest total of hidden special teams points since the 2017 Rams. In fact, according to FTN’s database, it was the fifth-highest total since 1977. And to think the 49ers can improve on their 23rd-ranked punt team and 21st-ranked kickoff unit. Water will find its level. Opposing kickers are going to make more than two-thirds of their kicks. Pineiro is probably going to miss a kick before Christmas. Last year proved that it’s better to be lucky than good if you’re the 49ers’ special teams units. Brant Boyer is hoping some of that luck seeps into the 2026 season

Mike Evans

WR · SF

Ricky Pearsall

WR · SF

+4 players

general

Which 49ers training camp battle are you looking forward to the most?

Yahoo Sports NFLJul 15, 2026, 8:01 PM+14 stories · 30dSource ↗

Mike Evans Ricky Pearsall De'Zhaun Stribling

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Niners fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. The San Francisco 49ers rookies are a couple of days away from reporting to training camp. We are 11 days away from an open practice for fans. So today’s survey question is: which training camp battle are you looking forward to the most? Mike Evans , Ricky Pearsall , and De’Zhaun Stribling figure to be the usual suspects on offense this season. But there could be games where Christian Kirk, Jordan Watkins , or Jacob Cowing have a few splash plays. Or, to take it a step further, solidify themselves as a genuine threat, even if only for a short stretch. WR4 can quickly turn into WR3 and somebody the offense relies on if any injury arises. So while one of these three might be in the shadows early on in the season, that could change by midseason. The position with the most unknowns is left guard. Connor Colby , Carver Willis, Brett Toth , and Robert Jones all have a realistic chance of winning the job. It won’t be easy for Willis as a rookie. Colby is a second-year pro who was played off the field last season. Jones has had one season as a starter since 2021 and is coming off a serious neck injury. Toth is undersized and probably better at center. No answer would be surprising, which is what makes this the most intriguing battle and probably the most important. There may not be much of a battle at all here. Then again, nobody expected Marques Sigle to be the Week 1 starter at safety last year. Raheem Morris watched a few OTA practices, and the 49ers went on to sign safety Ashtyn Davis . That was telling. Whether it’s a veteran who isn’t on the roster yet or an undrafted free agent like Larry Worth III , a backup will have an opportunity to push Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown for playing time. Well, maybe not the former, but after last season, neither job should be safe. Far from a flashy position, but it’s been critical to this defense over the years. Nick Martin , Luke Gifford , and Jaden Dugger are likely the trio competing for the SAM linebacker spot. They’ll have more opportunities under Morris with how he likes to walk linebackers down to the line of scrimmage. Gifford has the experience, but he was a nightmare in coverage last year. Opposing offenses hunted him whenever he was on the field. The 49ers might want to see what they have in their third-round pick from a year ago, but Dugger’s length and versatility make him a better fit for the position— on paper, at least. Another position where it might be one player one week, and the other guy the following week. We’re fully expecting Bobby Turner and Kyle Shanahan to ride the hot hand behind Christian McCaffrey . 49ers fans are convinced Kaelon Black will have more yards from scrimmage and win the job. I lean toward Jordan James for his down-to-down ability as a runner, while acknowledging Black is the higher draft pick and likely to get the first opportunity. If McCaffrey is healthy, he’s unlikely to come off the field on passing downs. But you don’t want to run him into the ground. At this point, James might be a more natural runner, while Black is more of a change-of-pace back. McCaffrey won’t see the field during the preseason —he shouldn’t—which means James and Black will have ample opportunities to prove they can be trusted once the games actually count

Mac Jones

QB · SF

Trey Lance

QB · LAC

+4 players

general

49ers News: The entire 2026 rookie class is officially signed

Yahoo Sports NFLJul 8, 2026, 12:58 PM+7 stories · 30dSource ↗

Mac Jones Trey Lance Christian McCaffrey

Mac Jones on 49ers choosing Lance over him, why he was meant to join Shanahan “And I felt like I had really good interviews,” Jones said. “Kyle really liked what I was doing on Zoom. My Zoom setup was incredible. I had the whiteboard and all the right s–t. I’m like, I’m gonna do this right . So, I had it all, and I would go in there and show tape and try and show them what my superpower is, which is my ability to process and be smart, and also like rip it, and show them that I have that side of me too.” He entered draft night believing he had a legitimate chance to land in San Francisco. “So I think I had good interviews, and leading up to it, I was like feeling good about it,” Jones said. “And I met with a bunch of teams, and a lot of teams thought I was going to be gone, so they didn’t even meet with me. Anyways, so like the day comes, and I ended up not getting picked by them, and I didn’t really know. It was 50/50. We really didn’t [know]. And they went with Trey, which is just fine. And Trey, I know Trey. He’s a good dude. And I think, Kyle, he really wanted me to get back there somehow, like when I went to New England . You could have just picked me at 12,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know if I’m worth three first-round picks, but s–t, sign me up.” 49ers sign 4th-round pick Gracen Halton to 4-yr, $5.6M deal “ With the move, the 49ers have signed their entire 2026 draft class.” Watch: 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey’s offseason workout routine “As anticipation builds for the 2026 season, new video has surfaced showcasing McCaffrey’s offseason training routine as the star running back prepares for his 10th NFL campaign.” 49ers 90-in-90: Jordan Watkins reminds us of a pair of former Kyle Shanahan receivers “I imagine Watkins will be the Skyy Moore of 2026, but a more complete version. During OTAs, Watkins and Jacob Cowing were the primary kick and punt returners. Rookie wideout Will Pauling mixed in here and there, but the former two are the starters. Watkins was the only one who didn’t muff a punt. Watkins can have the same kind of splash returns as Moore without fielding the ball inside the five-yard line and driving everybody in the stadium crazy in the process. They have similar body types; Watkins ran a 4.37 40, compared to Moore’s 4.41. Moore reaches his top speed quicker, and that’s what made him a successful punt returner. Watkins’ 10-yard split was in the 65th percentile, compared to Moore’s 98th percentile 10-yard split. The team tried to use Moore on offense, but to no avail. He couldn’t shake free, no matter where Kyle Shanahan lined him up. Interestingly enough, Watkins played most of his snaps at “X” as the isolated receiver. He only ran 15 routes, so there’s not much film to go off of Watkins as a rookie. Still, his usage stood out. The first target of the season went from Watkins’ hands on a sail concept, 15 yards downfield from Mac Jones. It’s a pass he should’ve caught, but those are the kind of routes you can run with a 4.3 wideout….Ultimately, Watkins proved he can be used as a blocker and perhaps be the Travis Benjamin-esque type of receiver in Shanahan’s offenses over the years. The wideout that runs the long developing routes down the field when the offense wants to hit the home run. But Watkins must work on his intermediate route running if he’s ever going to be a consistent threat.”