“I don’t think about the season’s expectation. I think about how good we can get in the draft and how many people we can add,” is what Kyle Shanahan says every time someone asks him about his blueprint to reverse last season. And going by his latest moves, seems like the head coach is worshipping that mantra word for word. And why not? After a dilapidated 6-11 season that fell through owing to injuries—the San Francisco 49ers had the third-most adjusted games lost on defense and second-most on offense—Shanahan knows the only thing they cannot afford to do is let the roster run dry.

On Thursday, the 49ers announced that they had signed RB Ameer Abdullah, WR Marquez Callaway and WR Andy Isabella to “one year-deals” after Equanimeous St. Brown was released, and OL Sebastian Gutierrez, wide receiver Malik Knowles, safety Jaylen Mahoney waived. At a time when Shanahan is already dealing with losing Deebo Samuel and eight free agents to higher compensation elsewhere (while the front office tried to save up on Brock Purdy’s mega $265 million deal), the latest signings do spark confidence. But it also sparks curiosity, especially when you read the one other name that was featured in the announcement.

Carter Bradley is not your usual quarterback. He doesn’t come with sky-high stats to spark confidence in analysts. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound signal caller was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Las Vegas Raiders in April 2024 and was moved to their practice squad four months later, where he spent the remainder of the season. In July this year, he was eventually waived after failing to appear in a single regular-season game. As per reports, the QB will be “merely a camp arm for San Francisco”. However, Shanahan still sees the underdog energy.

“We had workouts yesterday with receivers and running backs and we brought him in to throw to them and he looked so good in the workout that made us go in and watch his clips. He had 38 passes last year and we really liked what we saw in his 38 passes. So, found a way to get him here,” the HC stated. Perhaps, Shanahan hopes he can bring some of Bradley’s CFB form back? Notably, as a Toledo Rockets (2018-21) and South Alabama Jaguars (2022-23) player, Bradley appeared in 46 games and completed 678 of 1,081 passes for 8,372 yards, 61 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. That’s not the only thing that makes him stand out, though. It’s also his deep connection with the team’s front office.

The 25-year-old is reportedly the son of current 49ers assistant HC and former Jacksonville Jaguars HC, Gus Bradley. Hopefully, the father-son duo will spark the magic Shanahan is hoping to see this season.

Think of 2025 as the spiritual cousin to 2018: A young roster, a clean slate, and the belief that the next window is wide open. Shanahan sounds like a man who’s taken the hit, adjusted the blueprint, and is now ready to start climbing again.

Kyle Shanahan might find it hard to choose his starter

The 49ers may have entered training camp with Brock Purdy as the unquestioned starter. But Mac Jones is changing the narrative one rep at a time. After a chaotic end to his Patriots tenure, Jones arrived in Santa Clara with something to prove. And so far, he’s doing exactly that. In Grant Cohn’s Day 6 camp report, Jones went 11-of-13 with no interceptions, and a total of 62 of 79 attempts completed (78%) with just one interception till the sixth day. As per 49ersWebzone, staffers have been “really impressed” by how quickly and effectively Jones is executing the offense.

Meanwhile, Brock Purdy hasn’t exactly looked untouchable. The 2023 breakout star has had his struggles early in camp. He’s shown flashes of his old playmaking, like a 13-of-14 stretch early in team drills, but also periods of concern. One rough patch saw him go 6-of-11 with a pick by linebacker Luke Gifford, and a few errant throws after an accidental hit.

And Kyle Shanahan? He’s watching both closely, but perhaps with more excitement than pressure. He’s praised Jones’ approach through offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, who called him “really impressive” in how he’s picked up the playbook. Shanahan knows Purdy brings playoff poise and improvisational magic, but he also knows that turnovers, even in camp, can’t be ignored.

With Jones embracing the system and delivering mistake-free football, it’s no longer just about who played in February; it’s about who fits the 2025 version of this team best. And that might just be enough to shift this quarterback competition from assumed to wide open.