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Jerry Rice knows what it takes to be a winner, and the San Francisco 49ers legend sees this year's team carrying a similar feeling to the ones he helped lead to three Super Bowl titles.
"I feel really good. … I think this is the year for the Niners," Rice told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. "I certainly hope so, and it's going to be up to those players to go out there and get it done. It starts real soon, and like a horse in the Kentucky Derby, I always knew when it was time. Those horses, they know when it's time to race. I think [with] the Niners, they probably feel the same way. So, this has to be a big year for them."
Rice, who 10-time All-Pro receiver before making the Pro Football Hall of Fame, pointed to the talent on both sides of the ball as a reason for optimism.
"I'm looking for a fun year,' he said. "I'm looking for the Niners to make a statement. They have a very good team now.
Part of that talent boost arrived in free agency, when San Francisco added veteran wide receiver Mike Evans. Rice, who met Evans before he signed, likes what the six-time Pro Bowler brings to the locker room.
"With Mike Evans coming on board, what a great leader. I had the opportunity to meet him, and he's just such a good individual, and he works hard," Rice said. "The players are going to get the chance to probably see a [future Pro Football] Hall of Fame [inductee], and he's going to work his butt off every day."
The optimism tracks with where the 49ers stand entering camp. Quarterback Brock Purdy is heading into a fifth season after battling injuries throughout this past season, and a full offseason should help him build on his track record as one of the league's more efficient quarterbacks. San Francisco also gets key pieces back healthy like receiver Ricky Pearsall, while Evans slots in as a proven No. 1 target with other newcomers like Christian Kirk and 2026 second-round receiver De'Zhaun Stribling. And, of course, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle will be back, though Kittle will continue to recover from his Achilles injury from 2025.
Defensively, the 49ers are hoping health is the difference-maker after the year was derailed by injuries to Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, two of the unit's cornerstones. First-round pick Mykell Williams, like Bosa, is coming off an ACL injury, so a healthy season from both would give San Francisco's front seven another boost.
San Francisco hasn't won it all since 1995 and has lost two Super Bowls and two NFC Championship Games under coach Kyle Shanahan. With the roster largely back together and healthy, Rice isn't alone in thinking this could be the year it breaks through. They'll just have to prove it on the field.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers legend believes 2026 'is the year for the Niners'
Continue reading...
"I feel really good. … I think this is the year for the Niners," Rice told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. "I certainly hope so, and it's going to be up to those players to go out there and get it done. It starts real soon, and like a horse in the Kentucky Derby, I always knew when it was time. Those horses, they know when it's time to race. I think [with] the Niners, they probably feel the same way. So, this has to be a big year for them."
Rice, who 10-time All-Pro receiver before making the Pro Football Hall of Fame, pointed to the talent on both sides of the ball as a reason for optimism.
"I'm looking for a fun year,' he said. "I'm looking for the Niners to make a statement. They have a very good team now.
Part of that talent boost arrived in free agency, when San Francisco added veteran wide receiver Mike Evans. Rice, who met Evans before he signed, likes what the six-time Pro Bowler brings to the locker room.
"With Mike Evans coming on board, what a great leader. I had the opportunity to meet him, and he's just such a good individual, and he works hard," Rice said. "The players are going to get the chance to probably see a [future Pro Football] Hall of Fame [inductee], and he's going to work his butt off every day."
The optimism tracks with where the 49ers stand entering camp. Quarterback Brock Purdy is heading into a fifth season after battling injuries throughout this past season, and a full offseason should help him build on his track record as one of the league's more efficient quarterbacks. San Francisco also gets key pieces back healthy like receiver Ricky Pearsall, while Evans slots in as a proven No. 1 target with other newcomers like Christian Kirk and 2026 second-round receiver De'Zhaun Stribling. And, of course, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle will be back, though Kittle will continue to recover from his Achilles injury from 2025.
Defensively, the 49ers are hoping health is the difference-maker after the year was derailed by injuries to Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, two of the unit's cornerstones. First-round pick Mykell Williams, like Bosa, is coming off an ACL injury, so a healthy season from both would give San Francisco's front seven another boost.
San Francisco hasn't won it all since 1995 and has lost two Super Bowls and two NFC Championship Games under coach Kyle Shanahan. With the roster largely back together and healthy, Rice isn't alone in thinking this could be the year it breaks through. They'll just have to prove it on the field.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers legend believes 2026 'is the year for the Niners'
Continue reading...
