The San Francisco 49ers enter the 2026 season with a lot of experience — for better or for worse.
San Francisco has the second-oldest roster in the league, per Fantasy Life’s Ian Hartitz, buoyed by the oldest offense in the NFL. Only the Washington Commanders have an older average age, and only three teams have an offense where the average age is greater than 27 — the 49ers, the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s not hard to see why the 49ers are so old. Firstly, they signed the oldest active NFL player in 40-year-old long snapper Jon Weeks. In total, the 49ers have 14 players 30 years or older — eight of whom are on offense such as offensive tackle Trent Williams, who is 37, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who is 35.
Defensively, the 49ers rank as the 11th-youngest team, though, with an average age of 25.91. Edge rusher Mykell Williams, their 2025 first-rounder, is still only 21. Other defensive starters like safety Malik Mustapha, Alfred Collins and Upton Stout are all under the age of 25, too.
The dichotomy between the ages of the offense and defense makes sense when you consider how much better the offense has been than the defense in recent years. That comes with experience. It helps, too, that despite quarterback Brock Purdy only being 26, he still has half-and-a-half years of playing time under his belt. So while his age is just below the average number for the 49ers offense, he is one of the more experienced players on that side of the ball.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers roster has one glaring problem
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
