After an injury-ravaged, disappointing 2020 season, the 49ers will be out for vengeance next season. NBC Sports' Chris Simms is sure of it.
The 49ers likely will go from falling short in the Super Bowl to missing the playoffs this season. But Simms believes they will be right back with the best of the best in 2021.
"A pissed off, hungry, angry San Francisco 49ers team that goes back to re-establishing itself as the No. 1 or 2 best team in the NFC," Simms said to NBC Sports Bay Area's Grant Liffmann when asked for his bold prediction for next year. "I feel confident about that, for a lot of reasons. It's a good football team when healthy, we know that.
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"There's not a lot of needs anywhere. It's gonna be about a little more depth and things like that. ... I think the type of players are there with the 49ers. They'll be pissed off by the year, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will be men on missions because they're gonna be pissed off with how this year ended."
Think about all the injuries the 49ers dealt with this year. From Jimmy Garoppolo to George Kittle to Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Richard Sherman, Deebo Samuel and Raheem Mostert. The list goes on and on. Injuries are part of the game, but nobody could have predicted this.
There's no doubt this team will look different. Shanahan and Lynch have to figure out what to do at quarterback, and the front office will be strapped for cash with an incredibly long list of key players set to hit free agency. But Simms is right: When they're healthy, the 49ers still have one of the best rosters in football.
The 49ers can look at a division rival, one that they beat twice this season, as a guiding light for bouncing back next year.
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"I expect a little bit like we saw with the Rams: Got to the Super Bowl, lost. They had to find their way for a year, and now look -- they're right back into the top of the NFC conversation," Simms said. "I think that's a very realistic possibility for the 49ers in 2021."
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Rams sit atop the NFC West at 9-4. The 49ers are at the bottom with a 5-8 record. But with better health and revenge on their mind, 2021 should go much different for the Red and Gold.