Biggest mistake 49ers made in Week 1 of 2026 NFL free agency

Things have gone well in Santa Clara during Week 1 of 2026 NFL free agency, as the San Francisco 49ers signed Mike Evans to improve their wide receiver room. They also traded for Osa Odighizuwa from the Dallas Cowboys. But there is still one thing that 49ers’ GM John Lynch has not done that fans have been clamoring for.

San Francisco has the eighth-best odds to win the Super Bowl, according to DraftKings. But they have been to two Super Bowls in six years, and a major weakness has prevented them from winning them. It has been something that the 49ers’ fanbase has loudly alluded to, but largely gone ignored by management.

The biggest mistake the 49ers made at the start of free agency was ignoring something that is becoming a weakness. They ignored the offensive line, again. It’s time to look at the disaster that has resulted from this in the past, and why it might happen again.

John Lynch does not address the offensive line (mostly)

Okay, Lynch did sign two offensive linemen. Let’s get that out of the bag. But the signings of Vederian Lowe and Brett Toth are not the impact moves this team needs. Those are depth players, not starters. To make matters worse, Trent Williams is once again in a contract dispute with the 49ers. For years, Williams has been the best offensive lineman on the team. But every single offseason, he has held out for more money.

Williams has done this despite missing 10 games across three seasons (one in 2025, seven in 2024, and two in 2023). The 49ers have been giving him raises despite his constant injuries, which keep him out of games. This was the time for Lynch to add an offensive lineman. Look at what Joe Thuney did for the Chicago Bears last season. The Bears just acquired center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots to further reinforce their line.

How ignoring the offensive line has cost the 49ers

Brock Purdy had the ball on third down in overtime of the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. Had he had better protection, he would have had more than one second to get rid of the ball. Instead, Chris Jones rushed him unblocked and sacked him. That resulted in a field goal. Because of that, it allowed the Chiefs to win the game after they scored a touchdown. There was a similar scenario in the fourth quarter when Purdy had little time to throw the football, forcing the game to go into overtime when the Niners could have gotten another first down.

Purdy had little time to throw against the Seattle Seahawks and their ferocious defense in both Week 18 and the NFC Divisional Round. Time after time, the Niners have been eliminated from playoff contention due to a porous offensive line that forced Purdy to run for his life. It has also resulted in injuries for the quarterback.

Can the Niners salvage this?

The consensus is that the 49ers will likely draft an offensive lineman. But if you recall, they only drafted one offensive lineman last season. Until Lynch actually does it, fans don’t feel confident that the general manager will actually bother to bolster the offensive line. While other NFC teams are working on doing that, and the Philadelphia Eagles actually won a Super Bowl behind a stout line, the 49ers instead focus on other positions.

Yes, the 49ers did need to bolster the wide receivers and the defensive line. But ignoring the offensive line time after time has come back to haunt the 49ers in the past. If this is it for free agency, then that means the 49ers will once again be relying on an older Williams (who will likely miss a game or two) and other linemen who are inconsistent at best, and awful at worst. Then, they will rely on potential rookies who might get overmatched by the tough Rams’ and Seahawks’ defenses. Evans is excellent, but Purdy might not have time to get him the ball if the line does not block properly.

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