There is a wide range of predictions for how the San Francisco 49ers will do this season. Some are picking them to miss the playoffs again after they went 6-11 last season, while others are predicting a return to the postseason — or better.

For the 49ers to be competitive again this year, they will not only need quarterback Brock Purdy to return to form, but they will also need some of their young prospects, especially on defense, to break out. Most of all, they need to stay healthy — something they haven’t been able to do since the start of training camp a year ago.

John Breech of CBS Sports made some predictions for all 32 teams in the NFL, and he wrote that Purdy will not only bounce back from a subpar 2024 but will win this season’s league MVP award.

“I have the Cardinals making the playoffs and that’s not even my boldest prediction out of the NFC West this year due to the fact that I have BROCK PURDY winning MVP,” Breech wrote.

“… So why do I like Purdy? The criteria for winning MVP has basically become two-fold: You have to be a quarterback and you have to play for one of the best teams in the NFL. Well, Purdy is a quarterback and I think the 49ers are going to be one of the best teams in the NFL this year, which I think will put him in the MVP conversation.

“The last time Purdy had a mostly healthy roster came in 2023 when he finished fourth in the MVP voting after an impressive season that saw him throw for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns.”

Read more: 49ers’ Brock Purdy Receives Audacious 2025 Prediction From Analyst

Purdy’s touchdown percentage and passing accuracy dipped in 2024 after he had led everyone in the former category, as well as in passer rating, quarterback rating and yards gained per pass attempt in 2023. Then again, San Francisco had a gnarly rash of injuries last season, including to star running back Christian McCaffrey, their biggest weapon, who was limited to just four games due to Achilles and knee injuries.

Breech is very bullish on the Niners. In fact, he picked them to win this season’s Super Bowl 27-24 over the Baltimore Ravens because of one thing that has been their strength in recent seasons.

“One big thing I like with the 49ers this year is that Robert Saleh is back as the team’s defensive coordinator. Last year, the 49ers gave up the fourth-most points in the NFL, which hurt them almost as much as the injuries. If Saleh can fix the defense, the 49ers are going to be dangerous.”

Read more: 49ers Prediction Bodes Well For Christian McCaffrey

The Niners got to Super Bowl LIV and LVIII, only to blow 10-point second-half leads both times to the Kansas City Chiefs. During the 2012 season, they made another appearance in the big game, only to lose to the Ravens.

They last won the world championship in the 1994 season, and they have been trying to succeed in their “Quest for Six” for many years. A lot will have to go right, but perhaps they will surprise a lot of people this year.

This season’s Super Bowl will just happen to take place at Levi’s Stadium, the 49ers’ home arena, so maybe the script is written for them and they simply have to do certain things to turn it into reality.

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