Back
Dave Portnoy states his problem with one thing the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive unit does, which he finds to be quite meaningless.
The San Francisco 49ers are the first team to win six straight games this season after they beat the Washington Commanders on Monday night. The team has looked quite unstoppable so far, with the defense locked in and the offence humming.
Kyle Shanahan is known to be someone who likes to build team culture around leadership and accountability. Many of the 49ers’ stars have been with the team for many years now and take on important roles within the locker room. Dave Portnoy has a problem with one aspect of this.
The Niners have named five captains on offence this season. They are quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tight end George Kittle and left tackle Trent Williams. This includes the cornerstone pieces of the attacking unit, alongside their most senior members.
While the quarterback remains the leader, this group’s overarching task is to ensure that everything about their offence functions smoothly. Considering that there are only 11 players on the field at one time for the O, though, Dave Portnoy thinks this is excessive.
The 49ers have five captains on offense. Basically half their offense is captains. That’s ridiculous. If everybody is a captain nobody is a captain
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) October 20, 2026
View X
“The 49ers have five captains on offence. Basically half their offence is captains. That’s ridiculous. If everybody is a captain nobody is a captain,” the Barstool Sports owner posted on X during Monday night’s game.
While Portnoy has something of a point, making it about the 6-0 Niners is a bit absurd. They are one of the league’s best teams, and their systems are clearly working. If he tempered his takes taking anything like that into account, though, he wouldn’t really be the personality he is.