Former Super Bowl champion and NFL analyst Andrew Whitworth isn’t heavily favoring the San Francisco 49ers to win it all this year. Whitworth stated that with left tackle Trent Williams out indefinitely, it’s challenging to crown the 49ers as the team to beat in 2024, via Up & Adams Show.
“I don’t think that they have the biggest hold on the division as they might think they do. I think there are a couple of teams in that division that are going to be right on their tails,” Whitworth said “I have a feeling that really Seattle’s going to bounce back and I think they’re going to have a special year. I think Mike Macdonald seems to be a guy that everyone you hear talk about is special. And then I think this Rams team, if they’re healthy up front offensively, they ought to be as good as anybody.
“So I think that San Francisco’s got to be a little nervous in that building about figuring out these contracts because I think the other teams in this division are ready,” Whitworth concluded.
Amidst contract negotiations, Trent Williams did not report to training camp and missed all three of the 49ers’ preseason games. Because of this, Whitworth has been eyeing other teams in the NFC, including the Arizona Cardinals, as a dark horse for the upcoming season.
“I can’t wait to see what the Arizona Cardinals look like. They’ve beefed up on the offensive line, Whitworth said. “They took down some teams that you probably wouldn’t have thought they could have last year. That running game and everything else, will they be better?”
“And I think that that’s one of those things with San Francisco,” Whitworth continued. “When you got all these questions in your building, you got to handle your business and get back to the postseason to even have a chance to win.”
49ers facing major Rams challenge
The 49ers will look to prevent the Los Angeles Rams, one of San Francisco's biggest threats, from reaching their second Super Bowl in three years. While the 49ers and Trent Williams remain at a stalemate in negotiating, Whitworth believes the 2022 Super Bowl champs can regain supremacy in the NFC.
“The Rams have as good a shot as anybody. If they’re healthy upfront, I think that their offense will be one of the best in the NFL,” Whitworth said. “Defensively, I love some of these young players they got. Watching them, I’ve been to a couple of their scrimmages with the Cowboys and the Chargers. Jared Verse is the real deal. I can’t wait to see him get on a field and play in an NFL game.”
The 49ers kick off their regular-season schedule against the New York Jets on September 9.
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