San Francisco

49ers

Adofo-Mensah spent four seasons as the Vikings’ general manager, most notably helping build a Vikings team that went 14-3 in 2024 with Sam Darnold at quarterback. However, the team’s struggles with 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy starting last season while Darnold won a Super Bowl in Seattle likely contributed to the end of his tenure in Minnesota. Adofo-Mensah spent 2013-2019 with the 49ers in the football research and development department. He now returns to the spot his football executive career began as a personnel executive.

It is all but certain Aiyuk will not be a 49er for next season. The new league year will be coming up in March, making any kind of trade/release with the 27-year-old more doable. A release is more likely, but Lynch added, “who knows...maybe someone this week will have some interest.” Aiyuk will be a new addition to the receiver market as suitable teams like the Commanders and Steelers start making moves in free agency.

Weeks signed with the 49ers last offseason and was a pending free agent. The contract terms are not yet disclosed, but it is likely a short-term deal for the 40-ear old long snapper.

It’s certainly a vibes shift from Adam Schefter’s report that the two sides were struggling to find a contractual solution. Williams’ contract is indeed very tricky, tricky enough that moving on from it doesn’t really free up significant space for the 49ers. We’d be surprised if the 49ers moved on from Williams despite Schefter’s report, but it certainly isn’t completely off the table.

Williams is entering the final year of a three-year, $82.66 million contract with the 49ers and is carrying a $38.8 million cap figure for this season. Releasing him would only save about $5 million in cap space unless it was done with a post-June 1 designation. The 49ers also already have plenty of cap space, so it feels more like a separation for the sake of getting out of the Williams business as he enters his age-38 season. Williams played as well as ever last year — he had a 91.1 PFF grade despite a slow start in Seattle while injured at the start of the season. He has definitely seemed more injury-prone of late. Several teams should probably be interested in Williams’ services if he hits the free-agent market.

Wagoner’s long piece on Kittle’s injury is rooted in the idea that Kittle’s Achilles tear was “clean” and “happened high up by his soleus,” meaning the blood flow wasn’t as poor as it could be during the recovery. Kittle did not entirely rule out the idea of being ready for Week 1. We’d be surprised if a tight end entering his age-33 season was ready for Week 1, but we’ve learned not to count out any wild physical feats from Kittle. This timeline makes him a little more interesting in 2026 best ball, at the very least.

Jones “didn’t just look like a starter in 2025 but someone who could lead an imperfect team.” Per Barrows, Quarterback-needy teams could be hoping that Jones becomes the next “Shanahan reclamation project” after watching Sam Darnold lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024 and the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in 2025. Darnold spent the 2023 season as a 49ers backup. The incoming rookie quarterback class is currently viewed as a thin group, which could spur teams to pursue Jones via a trade rather than rolling the dice on a questionable prospect. Barrows notes that the Dolphins, Cardinals and Vikings “are running Shanahan’s offense or something similar,” and views all three as potentially interested parties.

Zakelj spent the 2025 season on San Francisco’s practice squad. He was called up for three games, seeing a handful of snaps on offense and special teams. Zakelj will be battling for a roster spot this summer.

Brock Purdy and the Niners will be well traveled in 2026. They will play against the Rams in the first-ever NFL game in Australia along with the Mexico City outing. The 49ers will also fly across country twice in 2026 to face the Giants and Falcons, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. It would seem to be a demanding travel schedule for a team contending for a championship.

Yes, we are again banging the drum that the 49ers may get an offer they can’t refuse for Jones, who has only $1 million in guaranteed salary in 2026 and could be a major upgrade for the Vikings over J.J. McCarthy. Lewis believes the 49ers will “drive a hard bargain” for Jones. As has been rumored for a bit, it would likely take a Day 2 pick for the 49ers to move on from Jones, and perhaps a second-rounder rather than a third-rounder.