Inside the 49ers’ Secret Offseason Ritual: How Nick Bosa and Trent Williams Are Redefining “The Standard”

The San Francisco 49ers have hit the reset button in a big way this offseason — rippling through their roster with a wave of fresh faces and raw talent. They said goodbye to eight seasoned starters, who together bring a hefty 54 years of NFL grit and savvy, and ushered in 17 rookies eager to prove their mettle. It’s a roster teeming with youth, with 38 players having barely two seasons under their belts. This isn’t your typical 49ers squad packed with veterans; it’s a young assembly that’s still finding its footing.

Kyle Shanahan, the head coach, isn’t just hoping these newcomers find their way — he’s calling on his team’s leaders to lead by example during voluntary offseason workouts. He’s reminding everyone what the 49ers’ standard looks like because half the team hasn’t witnessed the hard work and discipline that built the franchise’s recent success. Nick Bosa and Trent Williams, often absent during these early phases while tending to personal routines out of state, were right there setting the tone this year.

There’s an undeniable sense of urgency here — the kind that bubbles up when experience is scarce and a new identity must be forged quickly. Shanahan and GM John Lynch are making sure the rookies soak it all in, from sweat-dripping workouts to the unspoken culture that molds champions. The challenge? To reignite the fire and hard work ethic that’s been the backbone of this team’s past glory.

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49ers coach Kyle Shanahan urged his team leaders to participate in the voluntary offseason workouts to show the way.49ers General Manager John Lynch said last week that nearly every player was in attendance for Phase 1, which is two weeks of strength and conditioning. The attendees have included edge rusher Nick Bosa and left tackle Trent Williams.“We’ve had so many players who have owned those [starting] spots for a while, and so some rookies come in and they just sit back and watch those guys. They learn that standard,” Shanahan said, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “But now I don’t feel we have as many of those guys as we’ve had in the past. We’ve got to re-show that standard to all the rookies that came in last year. All the rookies that we’re adding this year. We have guys that know how to work the right way, and football means everything to them. But half of our team hasn’t seen that.”“We have too many guys that don’t know what we’ve been through the last five, eight years,” Shanahan said. “And we’ve got to show them that in Phase 1. How we work and go about things. And really establish that hard work.”The 49ers turned over their roster this offseason.

This 49ers team, unlike recent 49ers teams, is young and inexperienced.Both typically aren’t at the team facility for the start of the offseason program, with Bosa in Florida with his brother, Joey, and Williams at home in Texas. But Bosa and Williams are doing as Shanahan asked and setting the standard.They parted ways with eight starters, who have a combined 54 years of NFL experience. They added 17 rookies to the roster and have 38 players on their 90-player roster who have two or fewer seasons of experience.