The 2024 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 75th in the National Football League (NFL), their 79th overall, their eleventh playing their home games at Levi's Stadium and their eighth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. It was also the first with CEO Jed York as principal owner; after serving as operating head of the franchise since 2008, he acquired enough equity from his mother, co-chairwoman Denise DeBartolo York, to become principal owner. DeBartolo York and her husband, John York, remained co-chairs.
The 49ers entered the season as defending NFC Champions. However, the team went on to lose seven of their final eight games, failing to improve on their 12âÂÂ5 record from 2023. A Week 11 home loss to their division rival Seattle Seahawks, 20âÂÂ17, followed by back-to-back road blowout losses (a Week 12 loss to their rival Green Bay Packers, 38âÂÂ10 and a 35âÂÂ10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on a snowy Sunday night in Week 13.), highlighted their midseason decline. With wins by the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders in Week 16, the 49ers were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2020. Later that day, a loss to the Miami Dolphins confirmed the franchiseâÂÂs first losing season since that year. Overall, their 6âÂÂ11 record was the worst for a team coming off a Super Bowl loss since the 2003 Oakland Raiders went 4âÂÂ12.
The team was heavily impacted by injuries to key starters throughout the season. Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Jordan Mason, Trent Williams, and Mitch Wishnowsky, among others, were placed on injured reserve and missed the remainder of the season. McCaffrey had suffered an Achilles injury that caused him to miss the first eight games. Due in large part to these injuries, several members of the 2024 rookie draft class saw significant playing time, including wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, offensive guard Dominick Puni, and defensive backs Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha. The 49ers' defense struggled under defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, finishing 29th in points allowed and recording only two takeaways following their bye week. Sorensen was subsequently relieved of his duties following the season. Special teams coordinator Brian Schneider was also dismissed after the season due to continued struggles in the kicking game.
The 49ers entered free agency with the following:
Draft trades
This was the 49ers' 8th straight loss to the Vikings in Minneapolis, a streak that dates back to 1994.
Despite leading by 10 points in the fourth quarter, the 49ers suffered a late-game collapse as the Rams scored 13 unanswered points to defeat the 49ers 27âÂÂ24. This was the 49ers' first regular season loss to the Rams in SoFi Stadium and their first regular season away loss to the Rams since 2018.
The 49ers suffered another late collapse after leading 23âÂÂ10 at halftime, as the Cardinals rallied to score 14 unanswered points in the second half. In the fourth quarter, running back Jordan Mason lost a fumble deep in Arizona territory when the 49ers could have taken a two-score lead; the Cardinals then marched down the field and added a field goal to take a 24âÂÂ23 lead. On the ensuing possession, Brock Purdy was hit as he threw and the pass was intercepted, dropping the 49ers to a disappointing 2âÂÂ3 record.
The 49ers extended their winning streak over the Seahawks to six consecutive games (including playoffs).
In a rematch of Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers lost once again to the Chiefs, their fifth straight loss to the Chiefs.
The 49ers defeated the Cowboys for the fourth consecutive season (including playoffs), and improved to 4âÂÂ4.
Despite 3 missed field goals on the day by Jake Moody, he was able to deliver at the end and the 49ers escaped Tampa with a 23âÂÂ20 win to improve to 5âÂÂ4.
This loss snapped the 49ers' six-game winning streak against the Seahawks, and was their first loss to the Seahawks since Russell Wilson was traded from Seattle.
The 49ers then traveled to Lambeau Field for a rematch of last season's divisional round game with the Green Bay Packers. However, due to Brock Purdy, Trent Williams and Nick Bosa sitting out due to injuries, the 49ers were dominated by the Packers 38âÂÂ10, falling to 5âÂÂ6. The 28-point margin marked the 49ers' largest loss to the Packers in 74 meetings.
The 49ers were thoroughly dominated in snowy Buffalo and fell to 5âÂÂ7.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 6âÂÂ8, and were swept by the Rams for the first time since 2018.
Shortly before this game kicked off, the 49ers were eliminated from playoff contention after wins by the Rams and Commanders. The 49ers lost 29âÂÂ17 to the Dolphins, falling to 6âÂÂ9 and suffering their first losing season since 2020.
The 49ers lost to the Lions in a rematch of the previous season's NFC Championship Game, with quarterback Brock Purdy exiting late in the game due to an arm injury. With the loss, the 49ers were defeated by the Lions at home for the first time since the 1975 season, ending a 14-game home winning streak against Detroit.
The 49ers finished their disappointing season 6âÂÂ11, and were swept by the Cardinals for the first time since 2021. The loss also ensured a last place finish in the NFC West for the first time since 2020, and the 11 losses were the most for the 49ers since 2018.