49ers 2024 Midseason Awards

The first half of the 2024 NFL regular season is over San Francisco 49ers.

They enter Bye Week with a 4-4 record at the halfway point of the season. While the 49ers enjoy some time off to rest and regroup, it’s the perfect time for a midseason awards show. Sports Illustrated’s 49ers list of offensive and defensive most valuable players midseason is causing some surprises and disappointments.

Jose: It must be George Kittle. How is it possible that it’s someone other than him? He has been their most consistent and dominant player since week one. Kittle has arguably performed better than ever this season. As usual, he is an excellent blocker in runs, but most importantly, he is phenomenal as a receiver. He has certainly been the 49ers’ best receiver this year, especially in the red zone. According to Next Gen Stats, Kittle caught 12 of 13 passes for 76 yards and six touchdowns. More Kittle in the second half of the season is one of the keys to the 49ers scoring more points and getting their offense back to a high level.

Grant: Kittle is the correct answer for all the reasons Jose mentioned, so I’ll give honorable mention: Jordan Mason. If he hadn’t stepped up, the 49ers would have been in serious trouble for the first eight games of the season. Before Week 1, the 49ers thought they would have Christian McCaffrey all season long, but bilateral Achilles tendonitis sidelined him. Additionally, Elijah Mitchell is on injured reserve and Isaac Guerendo isn’t quite ready to shoulder the full load in the running game. After eight games, Mason is the third-fastest rusher in the NFL behind Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Not bad.

Jose: What about the guy who single-handedly kept the 49ers alive in Week 2 against the Vikings? I mean none other than Fred Warner. He has been a monster this season. Much like Kittle, Warner is arguably having his best season yet. This is probably because he knows he has to do it since he is the only impact defender the 49ers have. He recorded four forced fumbles, three pass breakups and two interceptions. This is only from one half of the season played. These numbers will certainly increase in the second half. Even more impressive is that Pro Football Focus rated Warner as the best cornerback in the NFL. A linebacker should not be elite in terms of pass coverage. Warner continues to be an amazing player.

Grant: Again, Jose is 100% right, so let me single out: Deommodore Lenoir. He has quietly become the best player in the 49ers secondary and one of the top 10 defenders in the NFL. In eight games, he allowed a quarterback rating of just 63.3 when targeted. This is because he is extremely confident and does not back down from anyone. On a team that is suffering greatly from a Super Bowl hangover, Lenoir is one of the few players to play the entire season. Nobody plays harder than him.

Jose: Brock Purdy has my vote. I never imagined he would be a player who was constantly throwing the ball into mid-field and off the bats. But that’s exactly what he’s been doing this season, making plenty of plays with his feet. It’s impressive to see him develop in these areas, which is likely due to the absence of Christian McCaffrey. Another aspect that is surprising about him is how much pressure he puts on himself. Purdy is usually mentally strong, but this year he seems to have shaken his head to some extent. While his footwork and deep throws are great, he spams a bit too much. He needs to find that balance and remember that he has amazing teammates who can do the job for him once he drops the ball.

Grant: I’m going with Dominick Puni. He’s a third-round rookie pick who played every position except right guard in college and is now one of the top right guards in the league. Go, think. In eight games, Puni hasn’t given up a single sack or even a quarterback hit. He was so good, suddenly he was doing well in attack. Colton McKivitz is no longer a total problem in pass protection. Call it the Puni effect.

Jose: Rookie safety Malik Mustapha wins for me. I wasn’t into him when the 49ers drafted him. He has huge, hard-hitting aggression, reminiscent of an old-school safety, making him ideal for playing close to the line of scrimmage. It seemed like he would need to develop better marking skills. However, the 49ers primarily used him in a reporter role, and he performed admirably there. The speed and range Mustapha showed was surprising. He was targeted 10 times and had only two catches for 26 yards. Mustapha is one of the bright spots in the 49ers defense. As NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal once said, “I owe you an apology. I didn’t know your game.”

Grant: I have to go with third-year defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu. He was on the training squad until September 28. He now has 3 sacks and 9 rushes in just 96 pass rushes. And he can rush from the edge or from the inside. This means he became the 49ers’ second-best passer after Nick Bosa. And no one had heard of this guy until a few months ago. What an outstanding story. He should start after the bye week.

Jose: Head Coach Kyle Shahanan, come and receive this award. How do the 49ers have the fifth-worst red zone offense this year in terms of touchdowns? Not having Christian McCaffrey is not a good excuse at all. The 49ers still have more offensive firepower than over half the league. It has all the ingredients to create the perfect attack. However, he tries to maintain their consistency. Some of the problems also stem from Purdy. But Shanahan needs to get him those easy throws again and engineer opening receptions. The 49ers did this in the second half of their game against the Cowboys and it actually worked. Shanahan can’t use McCaffrey as his “spinach” like he’s “Popeye” when he returns. If so, he is an overrated coach. Think about that as you come out of the bye and get your offense back into elite shape.

Grant: I can’t argue with Jose’s stance on Shanahan. Still, I would argue that Brandon Aiyuk was an even bigger disappointment before he went down with a torn ACL and MCL. Aiyuk missed the entire offseason because he wanted $30 million per season instead of $28 million per season. If he accepted $28 million for the player, he could go to training camp and be ready for the season. But he fought for every penny he could, and then he was very rusty for the first seven games of the season. More than once he dropped a pass when he was wide open. The contract is to be valid for the next four seasons. Yes.

Jose: There were a lot of expectations for safety Ji’Ayir Brown entering his sophomore year. He showed a lot of promise last year replacing Talanoa Hufanga, so he was ready for the next step. Well, the next step isn’t in sight yet. Brown has been quite a disappointing player this year. He was targeted 24 times, allowing 14 catches for 236 yards. His passer rating allowed is an astonishing 102.1. Brown is a covered liability. He is outplayed by the rookie. Fortunately, he reeled in and made a sweet interception against the Cowboys. Let’s hope this will give him the motivation to continue playing in the second half of the season.

Grant: The 49ers are paying Nick Bosa $34 million a season to dominate and close games, and he’s doing neither at the moment. He still puts a lot of pressure on himself, but he has just 4.5 sacks in eight games and leads the 49ers in missed tackles with 10. Suddenly, he lacks the speed and attention to detail that made him so great when he was younger. Throughout the match he focuses on the weaker of the opponent’s two attacks, and even then it doesn’t make much of an impression. The 49ers need the old Bosa back.