The San Francisco 49ers put forth just a horrendous effort in their first preseason game of the 2025 season, resulting in a 30-9 defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium.
San Francisco entered the battle without most of their starters, and it was evident as they looked overmatched. However, that didn’t change later in the game as more backups and third-string players took the field for both sides.
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While it’s difficult to look around and identify which 49ers shone on Saturday, the task is much easier on the negative side. Let’s discuss who needs to spend extra time working on their craft this week after this one.
Bradley signed with San Francisco at the end of July and was already battling the nepotism allegations, as his father, Gus Bradley, is on the 49ers coaching staff, and his performance in this game didn’t help his case.
Bradley completed just six of his 14 passes for just 32 yards and an interception. He finished the game with a horrendous 20.5 passer rating, which somehow wasn’t the lowest on his own team (Tanner Mordecai earned an 18.8).
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There’s a strong chance Bradley’s gone before the 49ers step on the field for their next preseason bout.
Martin, one of San Francisco’s third-round draft picks this year, came into camp with some legitimate expectations. However, since then, he’s clearly been left in the dust by Dee Winters. Then, in this game, he missed multiple tackles, which won’t help him earn playing time any time soon.
Burford is entering his fourth season with the 49ers since they took him in the fourth round (No. 134 overall) of the 2022 NFL draft out of UTSA, where he was All-Conference twice. Now, he’s holding down the role of Trent Williams’ backup, which is extremely important, considering Williams’ age.
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Burford, who is really better suited to play guard, started on Saturday, and he looked rough. On one series, he was responsible for multiple pressures and a sack against Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto, who isn’t exactly a world-beater. That’s not the way to earn a role.
While Lynch wasn’t on the field in this meeting, his fingerprints are all over the roster, which proved it’s not deep enough to compete against backups, let alone starters if necessary.
San Francisco’s front office, led by Lynch, didn’t do everything they could to improve their roster after an abysmal 6-11 campaign in 2024. That’s why they still have $47.05 million in cap space, the third-most in the league behind the New England Patriots ($59.85 million) and Detroit Lions ($47.83 million), less than a month from the start of the regular season.
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There’s still time to make some upgrades to their depth, but this needs to be a lesson to Lynch and company.
More 49ers: Broncos vs. 49ers score: San Francisco loses preseason opener
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Worst performances from 49ers sloppy preseason loss to Broncos
