This is an incredibly weak excuse.
We all know the 49ers had a hugely disappointing 6-11 season, and there are plenty of reasons why they fell short after losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. That’s why they made sweeping coaching changes a couple of months ago.
Recently, Brock Purdy appeared on the Built 4 More podcast and gave his take on why the 49ers struggled.
“Last year, man, guys were tired,” Purdy said. “That season is no joke, and when you go from July of training and everything, all the way to the end of February, and then you really get five weeks off or so until you’ve got to report back, and then you’re going again, guys are tired. They’re still beat up, their bodies.”
Purdy’s point seems reasonable—until you remember that the Chiefs also played in the 2024 Super Bowl and then returned in 2025. They didn’t collapse to 6-11. They weren’t too tired to compete.
Purdy is probably right that fatigue was a factor for the 49ers, but that speaks to a bigger issue: they had one of the oldest rosters in the league last season. Meanwhile, teams like the Chiefs and Bills consistently reach deep playoff runs because they regularly refresh their roster with younger players who haven’t endured multiple grueling seasons.
The 49ers are now making the right move by moving on from older players this offseason.
They should have done it a year ago.