The San Francisco 49ers remain adamant that a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo has the wherewithal to once again lead the franchise to a Super Bowl appearance this upcoming season.
And while a clean bill of health is all but promised -- especially for this roster --former 49ers defensive lineman and current team analyst Ian Williams agrees with their championship vision. At full strength, they're a true title contender.
"If Jimmy G stays healthy and the talent that he has around him is able to stay healthy, and [head coach] Kyle Shanahan is able to utilize that defense and everybody stays healthy, I feel like this is going to be the main contending team in the NFC West," Williams told The Zach Gelb Show on Monday. "I think this is the best team in the NFC when they're healthy...
"I feel like you have to look at the offensive line... I see the offensive line as a strength... If you get the same production out of the 49ers upfront this year, you'll have the best offensive line. And I feel like that's going to be the contending factor -- and the defensive line, of having all those guys back..."
The 49ers, which finished 6-10 last season due to an onslaught of injuries to star players, won three of their six division games. Garoppolo, star tight end George Kittle, and starting running back Raheem Mostert all spent time on injured reserve, and 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa also suffered a season-ending injury, as he tore his ACL during Week 2.
San Francisco will open the 2021 regular season on the road against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the 49ers currently have the second-best odds (+200) to win the NFC West, and the second-best odds (+600) to win the conference.
The entire 49ers conversation between Williams and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.