PODCAST: Which Niners Players Need to Break Out in 2026?
Beyond the Brandon Aiyuk rumors, Jason Aponte and Steph Sanchez identify the key internal improvements and bounce-back seasons required for San Francisco to reclaim its championship form.
Video Transcript
Steph Sanchez is back in the building, an NFL insider reveals something that doesn't really matter, and who are the five San Francisco 49ers who need to get right in 2026?
Steph Sanchez and I will discuss all that and more on this episode of the Bully Ball Podcast, presented by PrizePicks.
I'm Jason Aponte, that's Steph Sanchez.
This is the Bully Ball Podcast on the Gold Standard Podcast Network, the only 49ers podcast hosted by a Ricky Pearsall lookalike and some lady.
Steph, it's good to have you back.
What's going on?
Man, it's good to be back.
Yeah, I was gone for, for quite a bit.
I went to Madrid to see Bad Bunny out there, among other things that people do in, in Madrid.
And, man, my life was actually kind of crazy.
Like, I actually got in a car accident, like, right before, that trip as well.
But I'm okay.
I'm good.
Wow.
car-less at the moment, driving a rental, but you know what?
The bounce back for me is around the corner, J. I mean- Bad Bunny in Madrid?
I, I mean, I thought it was the tops just to watch him on Amazon when they, when they showed, or watch him during the Super Bowl.
My goodness.
I mean, way to flex on me.
I mean, here I was just sitting here in my Well, I mean, the sound's echoey because it's a newly renovated, you know, apartment, and I thought I was doing something big, and then you just had to like, you know, big-time me with what, with that.
I mean, I s- I'm sorry I left you with Rob, you know.
Yeah.
But I'm back now.
Yeah, listen, I'm glad you made the joke.
You knew we were going to make the joke, so, but it's good to have you back.
Shout out to everybody in here.
Hope you guys are enjoying your Tuesday.
I wanna get into it, but I don't wanna get into it.
NFL "insider," quotes for the audio listeners, Jason La Canfora, and I hate to do this to another Jason, or maybe I don't, says that he believes the 49ers will release Brandon Aiyuk soon.
This is gonna be the duration of the Brandon Aiyuk talk.
You ready?
No.
So that's it.
We don't have to talk about that.
That's not gonna happen.
And Jason La Canfora's record is about as good as any regular ex-con, ex-content creator in terms of predictions, and he's made one thing right.
He said that, you know, Evans was gonna be a Niner.
Cool.
You get, you know, one out of 20, ain't bad.
But it's not gonna happen.
He's wrong, and he's never right about any of these things.
And I think I really wanna get into this.
Jason La Canfora has such a checkered past with being unprofessional about Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers, and I have evidence of this because the internet lives forever, and you didn't scrub all those tweets, buddy.
Speak on it.
For the audio, yeah, for the audio listeners, these are I literally went on Jason La Canfora's page, just typed in Kyle Shanahan, and here we go.
Kyle Shanahan in the playoffs, man, making, you know, making fun of Kyle Shanahan losing.
"Tough circumstances, but Kyle Shanahan botched another playoff game," talking about the Brock Purdy UCL injury against Philadelphia.
Blowing official challenge.
Oh, no, no, no.
Having Johnson passing out an empty Oh, yeah, it, this is that.
Throwing at the end of the half, not going to the wildcat sooner, no garbage reps for JJ down the stretch.
Not their day, but his fingerprints are all over this.
Blaming Kyle Shanahan for an injury to Brock Purdy and running out of quarterbacks.
This is peak hater shit right here.
Kyle Shanahan losing it here.
Has to manage these situations better.
Wasting all that time.
Going uber conservative with the quarterback only to almost blow it there.
Makes no sense.
For our YouTube watchers, you can read all these tweets.
For our audio listeners, I'm reading them out.
Steph, I'm not gonna read all this crap out because it's clear that someone has an ax to grind with somebody who doesn't even know you exist.
I wonder what Kyle Shanahan has done to Jason La Canfora for him p- to be so spiteful, so inept, and such a hater of Kyle Shanahan.
It's absolutely mind-boggling and unprofessional.
Forgive me if I won't listen to a thing that he has to say about the San Francisco 49ers.
And I know you're not gonna read all those tweets, J, but I did see one where he was basically comparing Kyle Shanahan to Jimmy Garoppolo, and that right there is diabolical in and of itself.
so yeah, I mean, it's been a really long time, if ever, that, La Canfora has been, a reputable source for, for anything, any news.
Well, it's, it's been a while since he's been employed as well, too.
We have to point that out there.
Yeah, you- I mean, not, look- You have- Say what you wanna, say what you want about me.
I have many jobs.
Multiple jobs.
You have zero jobs.
You don't get paid to tweet.
Oh, man.
But, yeah, I mean, he hasn't been right about a, a lot of things, especially as it pertains to the 49ers.
So it's been a long time since I've taken anything that he says seriously.
And what I hate most about quote-unquote reports that get posted on Twitter is that sometimes it's just someone's opinion.
Like, I, I can't tell you how many times even, like, a Rapoport or a Schefter will go on a show, and they'll say their opinion, but people take it as it's a fact just because, you know.
I get it.
It's what they do.
But when someone says, "I think," that is an opinion.
It's not a report.
but people run away with, ideas or, you know, things, statements like that and, you know, I kind of feel like maybe this one's a little similar.
But I, I also don't think that the 49ers will be releasing Brandon Aiyuk anytime soon.
Anytime you see a new video or, or, like, a new tweet or whatever from Brandon Aiyuk, you know, you think, "Oh, God, the end is near," because the 49ers must be getting tired of this.
But I'll say this, like, the 49ers folded, right, when they gave BA that contract.
They folded to the pressure.
His antics, whatever you wanna call them, and they regretted it instantly, and they made that very clear.
They're not about to do that this time, and I think at this point they know what game Ayuk is playing.
I think we all know, 'cause it was kind of the same game that we saw in those contract negotiations, maybe, you know, even upped just a little bit.
but they're not about to play that game with him and, and they don't have to, right?
Like, they still hold all the leverage here.
The 49ers are one of the pettiest teams I, I could think of.
and everyone brings up the Jimmy Garoppolo training camp fiasco from few years back.
I think that is a great example as, you know, how the 49ers can play things if, if they're not happy in this situation, and I don't think they are.
So there's, there's no reason that the 49ers will fold here.
Brandon Ayuk is gonna try to force their hand by appearing crazy or, you know, whatever he's trying to do, but I just don't think it's gonna work this time.
The 49ers aren't being petty with Brandon Ayuk.
This is good business.
You think the 49ers are looking at those videos and saying, "Man, what a distraction in this locker room"?
They just had 100% minicamp attendance.
Guys are locked in.
You weren't there, Brandon Ayuk.
Why would I placate you by cutting you so you can go do what you wanna do when you could get zero money and just sit in purgatory, and we don't have to do anything, and we're not on the hook for any of your money?
The ball's in your court, bud.
Show up to training camp or just stay on the list.
And that's it.
That's all I wanna say about this.
And that's, they're not being petty, they're being smart.
And if anybody believes that the 49ers' locker room, the 49ers' organization, is perturbed in any way by any of these stupid, silly antics, no.
They're not.
Make all the videos you want, gang.
You're not getting out of it, this one, man.
And that's it.
And, that's all I have to say about that.
But yeah, look.
Look at the source, look at the rep, look at what he's saying.
Who cares?
So again, the, the hard part about this is there's nothing to add to this Brandon Ayuk story, but we have to at least speak about it, and that's what's frustrating.
I would love it if the 49ers just cut him right now.
I would love it.
You know why?
I have to stop talking about it.
But what I love and what makes sense are two different things, and what the 49ers are doing is making sense.
And, we see the comment from Corey, "I think the Niners are in purgatory.
Sell now while you can.
The Niners are better than 80% of the league, but only third best in their division.
Sell now while you can."
Corey, I hope you're hungry for nothing, because why would anyone trade anything for him if You can't trade him, you don't cut him.
Make him show up, and the moment that he steps on the field and shows up, you tell him to get out, and then he can do whatever he wants.
If he doesn't, then you save all that money and you don't have to worry about it anymore.
Steph, I really, really don't wanna talk about this anymore.
It's a big, huge, fucking waste of time.
Sorry Rob, hit the bleep button.
No, it really is, and, and I'm I just wanted to say my piece 'cause I, I didn't have a chance to- No, go for it.
Hey, no- to talk about it.
But that, no, that was it Steph, you can talk.
I, I, no, I, I s- I said what I needed to say.
I mean, I, I don't think the 49ers are gonna do anything about it 'cause they don't have to.
So your move, Ayuk, and that's it.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, look, keep, keep doing what you're doing.
Clearly it's working.
Okay.
Steph, 2026 is, for lack of a better term, a very important season for the 49ers, right?
The Seattle Seahawks won a Super Bowl in SoFi Stadium.
The Los Angeles Rams believe that they can win championships on paper in June.
And this is what you're talking about, you know, with the 49ers is this group is, you know, we're getting to last hurrah.
You know, with, Trent, and McCaffrey's 30, and Kittle, and But the 49ers have a reliance on their group, their guys, and they have a reliance on their group to lift any shortcomings that they have on the roster.
But there are five 49ers that do need to bounce back and are imperative, and the first one, and he didn't play for the 49ers last year, is Mike Evans.
I can make the case, Steph, that Mike Evans is as important to this offense as Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey, and here's why.
You don't know what you're getting from Ricky Pearsall.
You don't know what you're getting from Christian Kirk.
You don't know what you're getting from DeJoun Stripling.
You don't know when George Kittle's gonna return.
You need Mike Evans to be not, like, taking his time in getting there, good off the rip, and hit the ground running.
This offense is going to rely on Mike Evans very early while they figure everything else out.
He has to come back.
Now, I wanna say this.
He's not washed.
Watch the tape.
No.
He just got hurt.
He just got hurt.
He's not washed.
When someone has a streak of 1,000-yard seasons and it finally doesn't, doesn't come to fruition for the one time, the natural obligation is to go to age.
"Well, he's washed."
No.
No and no.
None of that.
But Mike Evans is so imperative to the 49ers' success on offense, I would argue he's right there with Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Shanahan, and Brock Purdy this season because of all the other factors around him.
Steph, you're up.
Oh, sorry.
Sorry, I thought you froze for a second.
No, no.
yeah, no, I, I think, as long as he's healthy, and, you know, I get maybe for the last couple seasons he's dealt with, some injuries.
But I think as long as he's healthy, he's, like, a shoo-in to be that guy.
Like, it- Yeah it's that simple.
For a guy that is as talented as he is, who is with a quarterback that I think, like, I've been saying this, like, their skillsets, I think, will complement each other- I think this is gonna be a really strong year for Mike Evans as long as he's healthy.
So it really all comes down to that.
And Jay, like, I, I have a few players as well that, you know, I wanna mention in this list that we're gonna talk about, and, you know, it's no surprise that a lot of them, injuries are their Achilles heel, no pun intended.
I mean, like And so for Mike Evans is one of those, but I think it's a given that he will be a contributor, and he will bounce back if he is healthy.
So, I, I loved the signing from the start, and I just can't wait to see what he does, for the 49ers this year.
Yeah, and I'm glad that you brought up skill set and how it matches with Brock, and it's true.
someone who, you know, I, I just, I can't stand sometime the way, the way that wide receivers are evaluated.
Every, you know, I've, I've, Steph, you probably heard me a million times, anybody who's listened to this podcast a million times say this.
Fast doesn't mean good.
Separating doesn't mean you're fast.
Guys win in different ways.
Mm-hmm.
I don't know how to explain how Mike Evans is able to create separation, but he does.
So don't ask questions.
You don't have to be a 4.3 guy to create separation.
If every 4.3 guy out there was a good receiver, there would be way more guys like Xavier Worthy in the league and, and, and all of those guys.
Doesn't mean you know how to play football.
Mike Evans can create just enough separation.
Brock can put it in the air, he can go up and get it.
It is a glove and hand fit, and that is part of the reason that Mike Evans took less to come here.
He recognizes that.
He's been salivating to play in a Kyle Shanahan offense, and Sub Station be damned, look at the 49ers bringing in free agents, right?
So yeah.
Yeah.
This is a big year for Mike, but I'm glad that you brought that up because I do think that their skill sets blend seamlessly even though he had tons of success with guys like Jameis Winston, Baker Mayfield, Tom Brady, but, but Brock and him, they go together very well.
Yeah, and I think, one key thing for me is, like, his catch radius is insane, right?
So that's what I like about it, too, because I feel like Brock Purdy's the kind of quarterback that he will take some risks.
Mike Evans will reward you for those risks because he, he will go get that ball.
So I, yeah, I, I can't wait to see what they do.
hopefully Mike Evans could stay healthy.
this next guy, Jay, I think is one we, we would both have on the list and probably one that everyone would have on their list, and that's another wide receiver on this team.
That, that's Ricky Pearsall, right?
and kind of for the same reason, like injuries, right, have plagued him, so far in his short career.
But I think this year is especially pivotal for him because this off-season it really just felt like the 49ers are like, "Okay, we, we can't put all our eggs in the Ricky Pearsall basket.
We have to have other options."
And not even just secondary options.
They got Mike Evans.
He's, he's the f- tier one, okay?
I-in this wide receiver room now.
So that puts Ricky Pearsall, I don't wanna say at risk, but, like, they, they got another wide receiver in the first round in Stribling, right?
So, you know, if you can't stay healthy, it, it, I think it's gonna be hard for the 49ers to justify keeping him around beyond the season.
Like, I don't know.
Or, or obviously, beyond his rookie, contract.
So we need to see contributions.
He's a super talented player, like we know that.
He could get, he could get open.
I think he fits this offense really well.
He fits well with, Brock Purdy as well.
but if you can't get on the field, there, there's no reason that this team is just gonna keep waiting for you to come around, waiting for you to get healthy, and, and hoping that it works.
They're gonna move on, right?
So the 49ers have already start I don't wanna say they've started to move on, but they've started to protect themselves in case, Ricky Pearsall doesn't stay healthy this season.
Steph, I fear there is never going to be a drafted 49er that is going to get a second contract for as long as John Lynch- and Kyle Shanahan are in charge.
You know what?
I mean, that's valid.
That's valid.
For, for other reasons, obviously, but- For other reasons.
Yeah.
Look, and then- here's what you do.
Keep drafting wide receivers.
Yeah.
I, I, like, I- Well, there you go look, this isn't a skill issue, and I think that's what makes this so frustrating with Ricky Pearsall.
If the man was trash and injured, then I could totally see being done with him.
The problem is, is that he's actually really good, and I was telling Rob last week, I believe with a strong season that he can push himself into the highest of tiers for number two wide receivers in the NFL, because that's what I do believe that he is in this league.
Can't be a one.
Can't for- can't force him to continue to win against man coverage when all the emphasis is on him.
I don't think that's fair to his skill set.
But as a number two, he is and he can be as good as anyone who is a number two in the NFL.
That's my hot take when it comes to that.
But the San Francisco 49ers cannot sign him to an extension to be a number two guy.
And as long as you can keep drafting wide receivers, and he has a fifth-year option in, by the way.
Remember, he, he was drafted in the first round, so the 49ers- Mm-hmm have that to play with as well.
I just don't see the 49ers after the Deebo Samuel and that other guy debacle, that they'll see themselves paying wide receivers when they feel like they can keep drafting them, and I don't think necessarily that that is a bad thing.
Think about it.
Miami paid Jaylen Waddle, they moved on, you know, because it's just, it's not working.
You don't have a quarterback, you don't have a offense, what's the point?
Wide receivers you can keep finding, but when you're building your offense all together, wide receivers don't make quarterbacks.
You know, pass rushers are, are, are very important.
Offensive line is very important.
Quarterback's very important.
Wide receivers, every single year you can keep drafting them because there's a bunch of them out there that can always contribute.
So unfortunately- For Ricky Pearsall, this isn't a skill issue, it's the 49ers have put their hand on the oven a little too many times and they got burned, and they're not gonna pay a wide receiver anymore, and you just keep drafting wide receivers, Steph.
But yes, Ricky Pearsall does need to bounce back this season.
He needs to put together 13 or 14 games, and that is where we can evaluate him from there.
Without 13, 14 games, it is really going to be hard to figure out where he stands, not only with the 49ers, but in the league, Steph.
And you think, like, if he plays 13, 14 games, the production will be there, right?
It's kinda like the same thing that we were saying with Mike Evans.
Of course, different player, but I just mean, like, if they're healthy, the assumption is that they're going to produce, right?
So you feel that same way about Pearsall?
For sure.
And, and, and again, I wouldn't be so, I guess, passionate about the subject if I didn't believe in the player himself.
Mm-hmm.
Let's not forget, before he got injured, yes, and, and thank you, Rob.
Rob's on, Rob's on it.
Ricky Pearsall was on a 1,400 yard pace last season.
The top three guys in receiving yards when Ricky was not injured, it was JSN, it was Puka Nacua- Yeah and it was Ricky Pearsall.
Not you, Marvin Harrison.
Puka Nacua, JSN, and Ricky Pearsall.
And Brock Purdy got hurt in week one, so that was with Mac as well.
The talent's there.
He's a very talented player.
They evaluated that part right.
The injuries and all the other things are the things that you can't predict for a guy who largely was healthy in hi- in, in college, right?
And that's the issue.
But Steph, who's another player that you believe needs to step up and is vital to the success of the for- 49ers?
Okay, this one might be, not a hot take, but like, maybe it'll surprise people.
I'm gonna say Dre Greenlaw, because I would venture to say that Dre Greenlaw's time in Denver was a disappointment.
Like, and for a couple of reasons, right?
He missed half the season with injury, played 10 games including the playoffs.
When he did play, he ended up split- splitting snaps with other linebackers.
And I get it, like, that Broncos defense is absolutely stacked, so that's important context.
but I, you know, as a whole, I just feel like that was a disappointing tenure.
He, he had signed for a three-year deal, with Denver, and, you know, only was there the one.
so happy to have him back, but we definitely need someone who I think, He's someone that I think needs to bounce back from the health perspective.
Again, you know, j- this is kind of the theme of, of these guys are we're talking about being able to bounce back.
but he needs to bounce back from that perspective so he can contribute, like, the same way that we've seen him contribute with the 49ers before.
I think, like, also if I'm, if I'm a Broncos fan, what would, what I would find very frustrating is in addition to the injuries, because again, like, this wa- that was his first and only season with their team, so as a fan, I'd probably be really frustrated with, with that whole thing, is, you know, he ge- he gets suspended because he threatens a re Like, it's just, that's so Dre Greenlaw.
Oh, yeah.
But those are the things that, you know, you kinda hope don't happen when he comes back, that he's, could stay healthy and, you know, that he could be the Batman/Robin, you know, duo with, with Fred Warner.
You know what?
And I have, you know, I have ideas, and I think that sometimes I try to think outside of the box on how to motivate people and how to get them going.
Here's mine for Dre Greenlaw.
Post a picture of Big Dom in the, in the, in the locker room, and let him look at it and seethe- and get mad and get ready to go out there.
It's like tackling fuel for Bobby Bouche.
let him picture it, and attack.
And let, let him start looking at quarterbacks and running backs and tight ends with Dom on their head.
Like, they're big, they, they turn into Big Dom, like in The Waterboy.
That would be excellent, and I think that's how you motivate Dre Greenlaw.
As far as the 49ers go with their projection of Dre Greenlaw, it's a low risk, high reward type deal.
One year, obviously no money.
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PrizePicks, it's good to be right.
Steph, a little bit off topic.
if it sounds like I'm echoing, it's because I've boarded myself up in my house because the New York Knicks have won the championship- and it's literally Gotham City, everywhere around here.
So sorry for, apologies for the, the echoing, but I have to keep myself safe.
I have kids to take care of.
Okay.
So as far as Dre Greenlaw goes, you know, you, you mentioned the injury thing, and, I thought it was funny when he was over there in Denver talking about practice and how hard Sean Payton goes when everybody was talking about how Kyle Shanahan practices and this and that and what Okay.
but I don't think that I can underestimate his talent, because in the AFC Championship game, he was the best player on the football field.
Oh, he- The best player I mean, he's great.
Yeah.
We know that.
I mean, sideline to sideline.
Obviously, that game was in the snow, but that's the type of guy that you need in those games.
I thought he was actually really good in the Monday Night Football game against Washington as well, too.
And I do think that he does need to play though.
That's the thing.
It's like we can't, can't just keep him around for vibes.
We just can't keep him around because, you know, he's got good energy.
he has to be able to get on the field.
And the 49ers, you know, next to Fred Warner, obviously, they, they didn't think too much of Dee Winches, they moved on from him.
Nick Martin didn't get a chance to be on the field.
You know, you have this hodgepodge of guys that you bring in, Eric Kendricks, Garrett Wallow, all of those guys.
To have this kind of settled again with those two, it would really, really help, not only the 49ers in run defense, but I think the reason that we're so down on the secondary is the communication issues that Fred Warner was able to clean up by letting everybody know, you know, "Hey, you gotta be here, you gotta be there," because all of that stuff fell off the table when Fred Warner left the field.
And that's no blame at Tatum Batum- Ba- Bethune and whoever was there.
You're, you're trying to replace somebody who's an absolute maniac.
But at the same time, you know, this has to be locked in because the 49ers run defense has to get better, and the back end has to be better, and Greenlaw can cover.
And, you know, we have a l- we, we have this lore where if Dre Greenlaw doesn't get injured, we have a championship ring.
I'm not sure if I'm ready to go that far, because there's plenty of chances for the 49ers to win that game, and a lot of people who made mistakes as well too, but he is that important, I think, Steph, to the defense.
And I think that you're right, he absolutely needs to have a bounce back season.
You're killing it right now.
Do you have anybody else for us?
I, I do.
I don't know It's kinda like, I don't know if it's a good one, but i- if I say Luke Farrell, am I expecting too much?
Yes.
Look, all right.
We can I, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna make fun of your choice.
I think this is a valid choice.
But I think we can wrap this up pretty quickly.
You get paid to fucking block.
Please block.
That's- 'Cause you don't catch the football what I'm saying.
That's what- Bro I'm saying.
But that's- What would you say you do here, Luke Farrell?
What would you say you do here when you bring somebody in to block, and they don't block?
I miss Charlie Warner.
Literally.
Literally.
Like, he was signed as this, like, elite blocker.
He got a pretty generous contract.
and, you know, I, I know everything with George Kittle so far has, has seemed really positive as far as, you know, him possibly being able to play week one, but let's say he doesn't.
Like, I don't know.
I mean, if he has to start, you're gonna have, like, the tandem of Farrell and, and Tuncis, and, you know, why not?
Throw Tuncis in, in here as well.
but I just want more from Luke Farrell.
Like, they, they signed him to be this, like, strong inline blocker, and I feel like the front office hyped him up a ton to try to justify the contract that he got, and I just don't think it's been at that level.
So the one thing they did talk about was, oh, like, having Luke Farrell will open up more 12 personnel.
We'll be able to do more.
And they did compared to the previous year.
but last year was still below the league average.
So I'd wanna see that go up again.
but maybe this year it'll, it'll be even less because, you know, you, you have better wide receivers.
But I just wanna see better consistency, better blocking from Luke Farrell, just whatever the 49ers and John Lynch, like, sold to us that they, they said he was gonna be, I, I wanna see that.
That's it.
Here's the thing.
George Kittle playing in week one, and George Kittle being George Kittle in week one is two different things.
And I'm not saying that I'm doubting George Kittle, because if there's anyone who you don't doubt, it's probably him.
If there's anybody who can bounce back from this injury, it's probably him.
But again, this is what I was going back to with Mike Evans.
Question marks.
What is Kittle gonna be like?
How long is McCaffrey gonna go?
What about Ricky Pearsall?
What will you get from DeSean Stribling?
It's what makes Mike Evans Mike Evans has to be the rock, for this team.
He has to step in and right away be the rock.
Like, I'm talking about week one, Melbourne, Australia.
I don't care who you're lined up against on the Rams, you gotta put up a tug, and 75 yards, and, like, seven catches.
Sorry, man.
I, I don't make the rules, but this is the way that you gotta do it.
But as far as him, you know, goes, I miss Charlie Warner.
And I think everybody made fun of Charlie Warner for like, "Oh, what does he do?
What does he do?"
Well- it's clear, it's clear Kyle Shanahan has no intent on, had no intent on running two wi- two tight ends as pass-catching options.
We can get rid of that and throw it out.
There's never gonna be a time that Jace Tuncis and, and George Kittle are gonna be on the field together running routes.
It's never going to happen.
If there's going to be two tight ends, it's going to be Luke Farrell and it's going to be George Kittle, or it's going to be Luke Farrell and Jace Tuncis.
So I just That's just their philosophy.
But to the point, and we can wrap this up, and I'll give you a player that I think really needs to bounce back.
If you're here to fucking block, block.
I mean, I really don't understand what else- It's your one job you're doing here.
Yeah, like, please, man.
You have one job.
What would you say you do here, Luke Farrell?
And maybe I'm starting to wonder that them signing Mack Jones was like, "Hey, can you bring my boy over too as well, man?
Let's get him a job."
I would put my people on and get them jobs too if I knew they were gonna be unemployed.
But maybe that's what it is.
Steph, you know who needs to bounce back in 2026?
Who?
Renardo Green.
And Renardo Green, it's interesting.
The first season, it's all over the tape.
You're, you're, y- he's flashing.
Oh my God, the 49ers found another one.
You have two guys that you can play on the outside and feel good about, Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green.
Then Robert Saleh comes in.
And it's funny because Nick Sorensen was the play caller, the defensive play caller then.
Mm-hmm.
And Green was actually really good under Nick Sorensen, regardless of whatever you think of Nick Sorensen, which I know you don't think anything.
Robert Saleh comes in, they run a bunch of cover three.
He's a boundary corner in a cover three system, but he's a man-to-man guy, and I feel like he struggled with that transition.
Even though the 49ers with Sorensen, it's not like they were running a ton of man.
He was running the same sort of thing.
No matter what, when it, you bring in the defensive coordinator, it's the 49ers, it's still bare bones the same sort of system.
So there's nothing that you can really, like, fall behind on.
The only thing you can fall behind on is the new things that I think Raheem Morris is gonna put in there.
But Steph, Greenardo Green felt like a little miscast.
And then when you toss in the little stuff, getting benched, the lapses, Greenardo Green's gotta lock in this year and, and I think the 49ers secondary success hinges largely on how well he bounces back and how well him and Lenoir can deal with Puka Nacua, DeVonta Adams, Jackson Smith-Njigba, you know, all the guys that you're gonna have to go up against in the NFC, Steph.
Whether it was simply, like, a sophomore slump or if it did have to do with the coaching switch, I mean, the things for sure is that Greenardo Green does have to, bounce back.
And I, I mean, I do hope that the, the coaching this year will benefit him.
I mean, I think just as a whole, I'm expecting the defense to be hoping it'll be a little more cohesive.
You know, you're gonna have Fred Warner back.
You're expecting this defensive line to hopefully be better.
so that should, you know, it's like that domino effect that, that should help other areas.
but largely, you know, corners, especially outside corners, are on an island, so, you know, I think, yeah, Greenardo does have to step up and, and we have to see the version that we saw closer to his rookie season than the one we saw last year.
So I'm hoping it was just, like, a sophomore slump for him and, you know, he, he's kinda a little more refocused this year.
And, and that Raheem Morris could, could use him to the best of his abilities.
But I guess, like, I'll ask you, like, do you think, does Morris do a lot of, like, man coverage or, like, press man?
He's going to have to, if he's going to start blitzing more, which again, and I've explained this with, with Rob, the reason that I know Raheem Morris is gonna blitz more is because you can't blitz less than the San Francisco 49ers did last year.
It's, it's physically impossible.
Yeah.
Like, there's no way you can go from a 2% to zero.
Like, that's just It, it's impossible.
So there are gonna be some things that you take chances on.
You know, do you see yourself in a position where Upton Stout starts to come off of, you know, off of the edge on certain plays as well too?
And, you know, you, you know, there's It's, it's nothing, it's not a skill issue with Greenardo Green.
I feel like there's just times- Yeah where he's in his head a little bit.
You know, there, there was definitely some plays that, you know, obviously Kyle Shanahan, you know, benches him for and h- allows him to get his mind right.
But I do think that Raheem Morris is much more of a secondary guy, if you look at the guys that he had.
And, and believe me, Atlanta was not devoid of talent in that secondary when he was there.
We're talking about Jessie Bates, we're talking about, Terrell.
You know, these guys had dudes, in that secondary.
But I do think he is a lot more secondary friendly than, let's say, Robert Saleh, who is looking for you to just be vanilla, be in the spot, but hoping that the pass rush gets there, and, we saw how that worked out last year.
So I do think you're right.
I do think it's a two-pronged approach with how to fix this defense, especially on the back end.
well, it's really three prong.
It's Fred Warner, you know, and being able to help with the communication.
It's the pass rush being able to get there, and it's also up to the players on the back end to be exactly where you're supposed to be and understand your assignment, and play to the best of your ability.
I think the, I think it's a, it's a myriad of things, and it's not one thing.
There's never any, never one thing that contributes to a player's success or, or their struggles in the NFL, in my opinion.
Steph, Greenardo Green, Luke Farrell, R- Ricky Pearsall, Mike Evans.
Greenlaw too.
Give me your fifth one.
Well, I said Greenlaw, yeah.
Yeah, we got five.
We got five, but if you- Give me another- if you got another keep going.
Keep going.
All right, I'm, I'm gonna throw in, Marcus Segal, and, and maybe that's a little surprising too, but- Okay I, I think he showed a lot of potential.
What I think he lacked in was coverage, and that's why the 49ers had to take him off the field, because he was just getting burned out there.
Like, if, if he could improve in that area and, and he could bounce back, I, I think he sees the field.
And to me, like, it wouldn't be a question.
Like, he would just be a complete player that you could trust to be out there.
but currently, or, you know, based on what we saw last year, like, I wouldn't say that he was trustworthy to- Mm-hmm to be out there.
you know, so there, there were some miscues, I think, on his end as well.
But especially in coverage, that's the area I think I, I'd wanna see Segal bounce back in.
I'll take it a step further and just say every single safety that played for the 49ers.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, yeah.
I mean In a perfect world.
Look, I don't wanna get into the safeties thing, because you know where that's gonna go down the road or whatever, and I have no interest in rehashing anything and discussing anything.
I said what I said, and I'm not taking nothing back.
But all of them, all of them, every single safety that played for the 49ers last season, all of them, they all need to bounce back.
For, again, there's no one reason for any player's, you know, success or struggles in the NFL.
But again, the communication on the back end, guys not knowing where they're supposed to be.
We saw the back of the jersey of safeties far too many times.
Marcus Segal is somebody who is in position, which is good, because there's a lot of safeties that can't even get in position.
But what's good about being in position if you're just gonna allow the catch?
So look, again, we have to evaluate this group now under Raheem Morris, because under Robert Saleh, it just kind of felt like these guys never gelled and they were never able to, to marry whatever pass rush they had, especially after Nick Bosa and all of them went down, which I, I don't blame- Yeah, man you know.
Yeah, I can't blame them for that.
But they were unable to marry the back end to the front end So that's what you have to hope is going to happen this season with Raheem Morris.
And if you think about this, if you think about this, there is absolutely no way, two things are certain, the 49ers pass rush is going to be better in 2026.
Nope, it's not, it's not even up for debate.
It will be better 'cause it can't be worse.
And the same thing with the blitz rate.
So again, the back end has to be there, and the 49ers have been kind of looking for those guys that have been playmakers, but I yearn for the days of my safe safety play in Jimmy Ward and Jaquiski Tartt.
I will not be answering any other questions.
Please do not bring up that one interception.
Those guys were not allowing explosive plays.
Those guys were safe, and sometimes that's all you need.
Shout out to Reggie Wynn, "Love the talk, guys.
Great constrictive- constructive takes that aren't toxic.
Keep up the great work, Steph.
You always rock."
Reggie, stick around for a little bit while, I can make it really toxic.
I'm just joking.
Okay.
Look, Steph, here's one.
Dominic Thune.
Now, here's the thing.
Okay.
Yeah.
Dominic Thune didn't have a poor 2025.
He didn't.
And I would say he improved as the season went on.
For sure.
But it was very clear, Steph, that the injury that he suffered during a preseason game hampered him early on in the season, and he j- And the problem is, is when you put together such an impressive rookie year, people expect you to j- jump up one more.
Yeah.
And we didn't see that.
But just like almost everybody else that we mentioned, Steph, injuries.
Injuries, injuries, injuries.
I do think we see a bounce back from Dom Thune this year because he's actually playing right next to Colton McKivitz.
By the way, I think Colton McKivitz is a good football player.
And, you know, I think that he, if he's healthy, he, he'll make that jump that everyone thought he was going to make the year before this season.
And I think Dom Thune is, is in line for that stuff.
Yeah.
He had the slow start to the season last year, and ev- everyone was thinking he was having the sophomore slump.
I do think, too, it was injury related because, yeah, we saw as the season progressed that as he got healthier, you know, he, he got better as the season went on.
So yeah, I, I, I think it, it does make sense for, for Thune to be a bounce back candidate and for him to actually, you know, hold up that end of the bargain and, and improve this year.
I mean, the offensive line is largely the same.
I know we're, we're waiting to see who wins out at the left guard position, but I like when not too much changes with the offensive line.
I know a lot of people always want the 49ers to, like, rehaul the entire offensive line.
But the more snaps these guys get together, the better as far as cohesion goes.
And yeah, I think it's a positive that you got, you got a guy like Dominic Thune, who we know isn't bad, and Colton McKivitz, as well.
Like, you know, that side of the line, I'm, I'm not worried about it, especially if, you know, we continue to see improvements from Thune from the end of last season, to this year as well.
So that, that one's a great one, and I think a lot of people would agree with that one too.
Yeah.
And I think in terms of bounce back players, I think we've covered them all.
of course, there's players that can play better.
You can throw CJ West and Alfred Collins probably into this mix.
They were rookies.
They, you know, they, you know, they're not necessarily known for their pass rushing prowess, but the 49ers addressed that.
Osa, Halton, you know, you know, Kamara as an edge as well too.
So the 49ers aren't just leaving them out to dry and saying, "Hey, listen, sink or swim."
They're actually, like, getting them help.
So you could throw those guys in there.
As far as everyone else that we didn't name that don't need to bounce back, the 49ers badly need for a lot of players to keep the status quo from 2025 into 2026 for their success, i.e.
Brock Purdy, who had a fantastic season last year.
I really, really loved what I saw.
I thought that you could make the argument, even though in 2023 it was a, it was a dreamlike season, you could make the argument that last season Brock Purdy played his best football given the context, given all the injuries, given what he was asked to do and how hot the 49ers offense was despite all of the injuries around him, i.e.
Christian McCaffrey.
You know, this team's success hinges so much on Christian McCaffrey.
And what do you do now?
Do you try to shield him from getting hit in between the tackles running the football and use him much more as the greatest r- as the greatest receiving back in the history of the NFL, if you, if you ask his father, which I, I don't, I, you know, wouldn't disagree with.
It's we have our bounce back players, we have the players that you're looking for a jump from, i.e.
Mikele Williams, CJ West, you know, maybe even Nick Martin if he has to be pressed into duty.
But it's so important for the 49ers on offense to keep the status quo with Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey, and it hinges so, it, it, it largely affects the 49ers ability to win football games if those two can continue to stay just the rock.
I don't need more, I don't need less, I need the same stuff from those guys.
I think the offense is gonna be- Be fine really good this year.
Yeah.
Like, it has to be.
Like, just And, and that's what was so great about the 49ers getting Mike Evans because you, you just add another guy who is such a professional, such a veteran, like, just such an elite player.
You can't miss with guys like that.
You, you really can't.
Again, like, as we mentioned, health is imperative, but if he's healthy, if he's on the field, you don't, that's not a player you worry about.
You know he's, he's going to do what he's always done, much like the Christian McCaffreys and the George Kittles and the Trent Williams of the world.
So this offense is gonna be fine.
I think Brock Purdy has shown us who he is as well, and you know, that's a, a good quarterback.
so yeah.
I, I think it, it really just hinges on this defense, you know, being able to Be a little more cohesive on, on that end and, you know, we'll, we'll see what happens there.
But it, it can't be much worse, right?
Like, so- It can't be.
Yeah, it can't be.
So- It can't be.
That's, that's my point.
Look- I'm trying to be positive call it, call it being cynical, call it being optimistic.
the fact is, there's no way that it'll be worse.
And, and I've, I've already laid out why.
so yeah, you know, the 49ers defense is going to be better because it can't be worse.
shout out to, you know, again, Reggie James.
I see Gojira.
Ariel, what's up, twin?
I, I'm good.
The Knicks fans took me out of here, but they, they brought me back home safe and sound.
I don't know what I did.
I'm not a Knicks fan.
so I- Like, what happened over there, man?
Oh my God.
buses were set on fire.
Um- Yes.
they, they put, they put, they put Elmo's head on a pike because he said that he hopes both teams have fun, and he forgot where he's from 'cause he's a New Yorker.
Sesame Street's in New York.
yeah, it just- Yeah, certainly people are climbing poles and everything.
It's just- Yeah look, I'll, I'll explain it as quickly as I can.
In New York, there's Yankees fans, there's Mets fans, there's Rangers fans, there's Islanders fans, there's Jets fans, there's Giants fans.
Every single New Yorker's a Knicks fan.
There are no Nets fans.
There are zero Nets fans.
I'm from Jersey too.
There weren't Nets fans when they were in Jersey.
They're certainly not in New York.
Ev- the It doesn't matter who you root for.
Hilarious.
If you're a Yankees, Mets, Jets, Giants, you're all Knicks fans.
It's so funny to watch Knicks fans have to go and jump right back to the TV now and watch the Mets.
And they're like, "This is the most depressing thing I've ever seen in my life."
And look at Elmo on the screen for our YouTubers.
New York City is not happy with Elmo.
Just an absolute you know, and then the other thing, the last thing, Steph, is because of those SideTalk videos- social media has created people who will do anything for a clout moment because of those SideTalk videos.
When those first started, those were genuine Knicks fans.
But when everyone sees that, they realize that they have to one-up that, and they have to do something stupid.
So that's why you see a lot of dumb things and a lot of Knicks fans doing dumb things, because they want a viral moment.
So you do have to kind of blame SideTalk for it, even though those are the best videos in the world, and that's all I was waiting for when this thing was over.
Happy for my family, happy for my friends, happy for the Knicks.
I don't care.
I'm not a Knicks fan.
So Steph, I didn't wanna end this on something sad, but we did lose a member of the 49ers family.
And I don't wanna talk about football right now.
I wanna talk about the man who is Aldon Smith.
And 36 years old, when you see that, is jarring.
It takes you back.
It takes It, it You're taken aback.
I'm heartbroken for his family.
I can't imagine the personal struggles and demons and things that he was dealing with when he was in the NFL.
I think things are bigger than football.
The first thing we should do is not run to football.
And we're gonna talk, but once we're done, you know, and I get this off and then, you know, Steph can say her piece, I wanna talk about football because I have some things to say about him as a football player.
But I do think it's hard to take when you see 36 years old and you think about, you know, how he burst onto the scene and just all the other things that happened.
His story is heartbreaking, man.
And, you know, just, I feel awful for his family, for anybody that was close to him.
And, you know, one of the last things that people saw him doing was actually, and I wanna make sure this is highlighted, was delivering pizza to homeless people.
And it just shows you that no matter what someone's done, no matter what someone is going through, they're not above being fixed or, or righting their wrongs or trying to do the right thing.
And I think that's where we fail sometimes as a society is when someone does something wrong, you wear that mistake for the rest of your life and you can't rehabilitate your image.
It's just It was such a, a tough blow to take because of how young he is, and we know the full story as 49ers fans, right, Steph?
Yeah.
I mean, it was, it was always sad to, to see just, like, the ups and downs of Aldon Smith's life, like, even after his, like, football career, just seeing the various reports that would come out every few years, right?
And some would be not so great.
Some would be positive, like he's turning his life around.
And I, and I think the, the one thing that we should take is that the f- the fact that the most recent reports, you know, before his death, was that he, he h- was turning his life around.
And he, as you mentioned, doing the charity work, and, you know, he had just spoken to the 49ers rookies, you know, a few days before his passing.
And, you know, I, I think he was working to be an inspiration, and he was an inspiration to a lot of people who have dealt with, you know, similar struggles in, in their life and, you know, just proving that you, you could change.
And, and there were so many times where, you know, it felt like you see these reports, you know, from the past and you think, "Man, he's Like, he's never gonna change.
Like, will, will something ever change?"
You know?
And, and that was always sad.
But the fact that he was able to, like, kinda turn things around, despite everything that he faced, I think was always just so inspiring.
And, you know, I have a lot of fond memories, not enough, honestly, though, but f- memories of Aldon Smith playing for the 49ers.
And I r- I just remember thinking, like, when the 49ers first drafted him, me thinking, like, "I don't, I don't really know who he is."
Like, I didn't know too much about him at that time.
I wasn't, like, the content creator that I am now.
So I, yeah, I was just like, "Who is he?"
It was 2011, Steph.
It was 20- Yeah, it was a really long time ago.
but, you know, I was a huge fan, and I remember thinking, like, "Man, I just want the 49ers to have a player that's, like, a transcending player, a transcending pass rusher, someone who could just completely change the game."
And I can't tell you how bad the 49ers, that 49ers team, needed someone like that.
Yes, they had, you know, the Justin Smiths, but- They had the Joe Staley's, but you know, Aldon Smith was different.
He was- Yeah different.
He was so, so talented and, and I don't think we'll ever see someone with, with so much talent for such a short amount of time, like, as a playing career.
yeah, as, as Josh Dubow, tweeted out, Aldon Smith had 38 sacks in his first 35 games.
The only player with more in his first 35 games since sacks became official in 1982 was Reggie White, with 41. and I, I remember Jay going to the game.
He had five and a half sacks against the Bears.
The Bears.
That was such a great game.
It was just awesome to see.
He was wreaking havoc.
I mean, like, no one had an answer for Aldon Smith.
He, he was just so, so talented.
36 years old, just a couple years older than me, and yeah, that's, like you said, jarring.
It's just really sad and I just hope he's, he's at peace and, you know, praying for his family.
And yeah, just really tragic.
I really wanted to talk about him as a football player as well, too, but I didn't want to lead with that, because I think that's kind of gross, you know, when we're talking about the life of a 36-year-old man.
But yeah, I do want to pivot this to football, because there are so many Like, 14 sacks in your first year, 19 and a half in the second year.
I mean, good lord.
And you know, this isn't a flex or anything like that, but I've, you know, covered media events, the draft, the combine, Super Bowls, and I've come across players, and some of them are 49ers, some of them aren't.
You know, when I get a chance to remember asking this one question, especially if it's an offensive lineman or if it's just somebody who was on the same field as him, is, "Who's the best football player you've ever seen or you've ever played against or played with?"
One 49er player who played with him told me Aldon Smith is the greatest football player I've ever seen put on pads.
There's a video that's been floating around where Joe Staley and Trent Williams are talking, and he's talking about who kept you up at night, and Joe Staley says, "Look, I think I know who you're talking about.
Let's say it on three.
One, two, three."
And they both go, "Aldon Smith."
It's insane because they start laughing.
Trent Williams and Joe Staley.
Joe Staley went against him in practice.
Trent Williams went against him in games.
And that is the stuff that I've always been taken aback by, because I've had players tell me off the record, "Aldon Smith is the best player I've ever seen play football at any level," and that is no small matter.
What I want to point out is, yes, eight and a half sacks in 2013.
Obviously, things start to go downhill from there.
Two in 2014, goes to the Raiders for three and a half, misses football for four straight years, and in 2020 joins the Dallas Cowboys and puts together five sacks, 48 combined tackles, which is his second highest total ever in his career, 31 solo tackles, 17 assists, 5 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits.
Steph, name me another player who could take four years off and can jump right back in.
And I know you're looking at those numbers and saying, "Well, five sacks."
It's not about the number, it's about how long he was gone, and he still came back, and he still was that good at the age of 31.
It's really tough to think about what if.
And Steph, I'll ask you this question.
And I saw, I believe, I didn't get to watch the episode, but Robin and I think Vish yesterday did, if you can give an injury-free season to any 49er, or injury-free career, wouldn't Aldon Smith be at the top of this list?
Yeah.
I would hope so, and he, he'd be like a forever Niner.
Like, you know, he'd, he'd be with the franchise probably his whole career.
That's just how good of a player he was.
And I do think he would be, he would, he would've been a transcending player for the team and, and, you know, the 49ers could have built, around him and, yeah, I mean, without a doubt.
Yeah.
Shout out to Aldon Smith and his family, man.
you know, I wanted to make sure I talked about that, but Steph, it's good to have you back, finally.
You know, I mean, we're back in the saddle.
We're getting closer.
There's no minicamp because, you know, the Rams, they, they qu- they cut their minicamp as well to keep Brandon Aiyuk away, as well, too.
As usual, and I said this last week, I want to make sure I reiterate it, if you're a Washington Commanders fan, check your people because you guys are off the rails and have no idea what you're talking about and have no idea what the hell is going on.
I know, I've seen players be th- I've seen teams and fan bases be thirsty for players, but you guys are embarrassing yourself on a daily basis- on the internet.
It's really, really bad.
I really can't understand how you guys are just taking everything, like, like, Jason, Jason Licata said they're about to get cut.
That's what you're grasping at?
My God, you guys are down the river.
And it doesn't matter if Brandon Aiyuk goes there, you're not winning anything.
So it's just funny to see them talk about the 49ers being dysfunctional, and I'm just like, "Are you sure that's the claim that you want to throw?"
I wouldn't throw stones if I was in a glass house.
I mean, for God's sakes, Daniel Snyder is, like, the worst owner in the history of any sport.
You know, him, him, Jerry Jones, and James Dolan, it's like the triangle offense of dipshit owners.
So yeah, I, I, I, I don't understand any of that.
So, Ariel says, "Don't forget about Atlanta."
Steph, what's up?
You coming to Atlanta?
No, I'm, I'm trying to plot for Mexico City, and that might be the only, only game I'll make it to, unless they make the playoffs.
That thing is, look, I'll be honest, it's empty in my apartment, that's why you hear the echo, because I'm getting everything, you know, rebought because everything I don't have the money to go to Mexico City.
It's just not, it's just not possible.
It's just not feasible.
Like, the people, the people that I see going to multiple games, I'm like, "Man, you guys are rich, man."
Like, I'm, once this is over, I'm gonna make a cup of tea and a cup of noodles and it's Widows Bay night tonight.
Like, like, and that's it.
Like, it's just, I'm a simple man with simple pleasures, Steph.
But Mexico City, my God, that, that is, that is- That, that's why I'm only going, I'm only planning to go to the one game.
Usually, I, I, I try to make it to, like, you know, a few, but no.
I'm putting all my eggs in that basket, and I think it'll be worthy.
'Cause I've heard great things about Mexico City and the 49ers playing out there, the stadium.
I know they're playing at a different stadium this time around, but I just know it's gonna be lit, and I mean, y- you know, you kill two birds with one stone.
I've never been to Mexico City, so I know it's about to be fun.
Yeah, it just, you, you're burying the lede.
Just say that you want to go see Jauan Jennings.
You miss JJ so much.
You miss JJ so much- Come on, man that you're gonna go to another country to watch him.
Come on, man.
I, yeah, I, I feel bad for you, man.
You're gonna have to watch JJ McCarthy hurl, hurl footballs at his feet.
Godspeed, to you watching, watching that type of football.
But, so St- and you know what else, Steph?
You saw what the place looked like, and now it looks a lot different.
You know you got a place to stay when the Giants pl- when the Giants are here, so you know you can, you can take off room and board because this place is completely different.
And you can absolutely stay here, Steph.
you know that my couch is welcome to you.
All right.
There you go.
That'll do it for this episode of the Bully Ball Podcast on the Gold Standard Podcast Network.
Shout out to everybody who tuned in.
Make sure you like this video, subscribe to the channel, hit that notification bell for when we go live.
Make sure you follow Steph on Twitter, @Steph49K.
Follow me on Twitter, @JasonAponte2103.
Make sure that you subscribe to the Gold Standard Podcast wherever you get your audio podcasts.
Steph, it's good to see you.
Please don't ever leave me again.
For Steph, for J Peace.
