As the 49ers enter 2025, the question is clear: Will their stars stay healthy? A year ago, Kyle Shanahan rode Brock Purdy through a challenging season that ended with another deep postseason push, keeping San Francisco in the NFC contention. And it doesn’t help Kyle’s case because he said this during the preparations leading up to the 2025 season: “It’s a different window.”

But the team’s fate might be relying on others staying in the lineup—most notably the men in the trenches whose production and health are so critical to protecting their young quarterback and keeping the team alive.

Nick Wagoner of ESPN was straightforward on X: “Just to get this out of the way now: if Colton McKivitz stays healthy and plays at or above the level he did last year, he’s likely to get a big

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