So says an annual survey of players that, overall, saw the 49ers climb from seventh to sixth in the NFL Players Association’s rankings among the league’s 32 franchises.

Here is how the 49ers’ graded in each of 11 categories in the NFLPA’s second-annual survey, as completed by over 1,700 players (77 percent).

Treatment of Families: A- (No. 2 in NFL)

Food/Cafeteria: A- (No. 3)

Nutritionist/Dietician: B+ (No. 8)

Locker Room: B+ (No. 7)

Training Room: C (No. 24)

Training Staff: B- (No. 21)

Weight Room: B+ (No. 11)

Strength Coaches: B+ (No. 16)

Team Travel: C+ (No. 13)

Head Coach: A (No. 7)

Ownership: A- (No. 10)

The NFLPA’s summary of the 49ers: “The positives for the team start at the top of the organization, with the players giving high marks to the club ownership group and CEO Jed York along with head coach Kyle Shanahan. Responding players also highly ranked the treatment of families and the food program.”

The head coach and ownership categories were added to this year’s survey. Shanahan just completed his seventh season, having guided the 49ers to their second Super Bowl appearance and fourth playoff berth in five years.

“The one area that survey respondents believe needs to be prioritized going forward is the training room,” the NFLPA statement added. “The room itself is small with a limited number of treatment tables. Also, the hot/cold tubs are very small, which limits the players’ ability to comfortably use them to either warm up or recover.”

Similar complaints were raised a year ago regarding the training room and, specifically, the tub room. This year, 56% of players felt they had enough space in the hot tube (54% last year), and 62% were OK with the cold tub capacity (58% last year).

Regarding the C+ grade for team travel, the NFLPA noted that the 49ers are among seven teams requiring some players to have roommates the night before a game. The only other area with a worse grade for the 49ers was the C-graded training room, where it should b noted the 49ers did rank fourth overall with 94% of the players feeling they have enough full-time physical therapists; 92% felt there were enough full-time trainers (No. 12 ranking).

“Many players feel that the training room is too small and they are restricted in what they can do,” the NFLPA said of the training room, which is adjacent to the locker room at the 49ers’ 10-year-old stadium.

Dave Merritt, the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive backs coach, is the fourth known candidate interviewing with the 49ers, who fell 25-22 in overtime to the Chiefs on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

Coach Kyle Shanahan dismissed Steve Wilks three days after that defeat, ending Wilks’ one-year tenure.

Merritt’s candidacy was confirmed by a league source, and it was first reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Media. Shanahan also has interviewed former Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley and 49ers pass-game specialist Nick Sorensen, with secondary coach Daniel Bullocks another in-house candidate.

Merritt, 52, has coached the Chiefs’ defensive backs since 2019, and among those who’ve excelled in their secondary was Charvarius Ward, who signed with the 49ers in free agency two years ago and emerged as a Pro Bowl cornerback this season.

Merritt was an Arizona Cardinals’ linebacker from 1993-95 before joining the coaching ranks. He’s won five Super Bowl rings as a defensive assistant, including two with the New York Giants (2014-17) and three with the Chiefs (2019-23). Merritt was a defensive backs coach in 2018 with the Arizona Cardinals, whose head coach that season was Wilks.

Merritt has no experience as an NFL coordinator, nor does Sorensen or Bullocks; Staley was the 2020 Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator before becoming coach of the Chargers, who dismissed him last season after a 5-9 start.

Shanahan is seeking his fourth defensive coordinator in five seasons, having seen Robert Saleh (2017-20) and DeMeco Ryans (20221-22) leave for head-coaching posts with the New York Jets and the Houston Texans, respectively.

Every NFL team has them, and the 49ers need more.

Their top priorities this offseason may be upgrading their linemen, offensively and defensively, but don’t overlook other positions.

Some of those were exposed in the Super Bowl LVIII loss to Kansas City. Some will come to light before the NFL’s fiscal year begins March 13. Have a look at these five positions:

TIGHT END

Charlie Warner’s input as a blocker and special-teams mainstay are coveted, if not by the 49ers then a free agent suitor. His four-year totals as a rare receiver (11 catches, 120 yards, no touchdowns) are not what you want from a No. 2 tight end. But will that role, as George Kittle’s backup and cohort, now fall on 2023 draft picks Brayden Willis (56 offensive snaps) and Cameron Latu (Injured Reserve as rookie)? Six-year veteran Ross Dwelley is a free agent, for the fifth straight year.

NICKEL BACK

The final play of the season came down to a touchdown reception against a nickel back who, two months earlier, was on a Disney cruise with his family. Logan Ryan shouldn’t shoulder the blame for that Super Bowl finale. The 49ers struggled to find the right mix of cornerbacks throughout the season, and that misstep can be traced to last spring’s splurge on free agent Isaiah Oliver, who didn’t play a defensive snap in the playoffs and got released Friday.

Deommodore Lenoir showed he can play inside against slot receivers but is best suited to man the right flank, with Charvarius Ward on the left side. Ambry Thomas also fell out of favor by season’s end. Hence, Ryan tried to fill a role that, in recent years, went from K’Waun Williams to Jimmie Ward to the 2023 carousel.

LINEBACKER

Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw arguably comprise the NFL’s top linebacker duo. So when Greenlaw’s left Achilles ruptured as he came off the sideline in the second quarter, it definitely rattled Warner and the 49ers defense in the Super Bowl. Whether Greenlaw comes back early in the season or a couple of months into it, the 49ers need contingencies. One obvious option: re-sign Azeez Al-Shaair, who, after playing this past season in Tennessee, attended the 49ers’ playoff opener and even joined the linebackers’ pregame huddle. Dee Winters and Jalen Graham barely played as rookies, with the 49ers instead turning to 2024 free agents Oren Burks and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.

QUARTERBACK

Brock Purdy’s remarkable recovery from elbow repair saw him set a single-season team record (4,280 yards) and make every start except the meaningless regular-season finale. That didn’t allow Sam Darnold much time to showcase his worth after his sloppy tenures with the Jets and the Panthers. But Darnold did fare well early in that Week 18 start, and in spot duty when Purdy got sidelined by December stingers in Arizona and against Baltimore. Re-signing Darnold would work in the 49ers’ favor, if the price is right. Brandon Allen never saw action in relief, as he, like Darnold, also is unsigned for 2024. The 49ers should also draft a quarterback, even if it’s a flier with their last pick – like in 2022.

RETURN SPECIALIST

A Super Bowl turning point came late in the third quarter, when a punt surprisingly ricocheted off rookie Darrell Luter, and when return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud failed to pounce on the football, the Chiefs recovered and cashed in with a Mahomes touchdown pass on the next snap. McCloud rushed back twice last season from injuries (broken wrist in August, broken ribs in November). In two years, he had three fumbles, rarely had an electric return, and scored on one of 26 regular-season catches, all due credit to two strong catches in these playoffs. Ronnie Bell didn’t acquit himself well as a rookie returner. Let the auditions resume

SAFETY

Talanoa Hufanga recently spoke optimistically about his comeback, two months after anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Getting him back, ideally in 2022 All-Pro form, would be a major lift to the secondary. Ji’Ayir Brown’s rookie experience will help him. Then what? Does Tashaun Gipson, 33, may want one more shot at a ring? Free agency and the draft will uncover more options.

“That was a welcome sight the cap was going up,” Lynch said of the cap’s increase of $30 million per team. “It was going up for everyone, so it’s not unique to our team. We have some challenges. We have lot of good players. A lot of good players who we’ve rewarded. Brandon is one we think incredibly highly of.”

Aiyuk is slated to finish out his rookie deal on a $14 million, fifth-year option, though an extension is a more likely route for 2024 than a potential offseason trade.

“He’s one of my favorite guys around our building, the way he approaches the game,” Lynch told reporters in Indianapolis. “He’s a competitior. He’s a warrior. He plays with such a physicality, also with grace the way some of the positions his body can get into. And he has a flare for making plays when it matters most. He’s served us very well as a franchise.”

Aiyuk, after his second straight 1,000-yard season, had just three catches in each of the 49ers’ three playoff games, including their Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He is next in line for what’s been an annual reward of homegrown talent by the 49ers, with extensions previously awarded to Arik Armstead (2020), George Kittle (2020), Fred Warner (2021), Kyle Juszczyk (2021), Trent Williams (2021), Deebo Samuel (2022), and, Nick Bosa (2023).

“We have a nice track record of extending players that are important to us, and Brandon is a guy we want to keep around for a long time,” Lynch added.

Only two weeks ago, Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan gave a state-of-the-franchise address, two days after the 25-22 overtime loss in the Super Bowl.

Shanahan, for the third straight season, is not attending the scouting combine, though he can follow through the team’s video meetings while he adjusts his coaching staff. Shanahan has yet to announce a replacement at defensive coordinator following Steve Wilks’ one-season tenure.

Here are other topics Lynch covered in his 15-minute media session:

Defensive coordinator impact

Shanahan has yet to name a successor at defensive coordinator, two weeks after firing Steve Wilks.

How might that impact Lynch’s plans to build the roster?

“We have a great idea who we’re going to be and continue to be and the things we believe in,” Lynch said. “Is it important? Sure. We’re working toward that, Kyle is working toward that. It will come in due time. We want to be true to the process and learn a lot from it. Identify some of the changes and tweaks we want to make while still staying true to our core.”

Settling in at quarterback

Three years after moving up in the draft to select Trey Lance at No. 3, and over a year removed from Brock Purdy’s emergence, the 49ers are in a happy place, knowing that Purdy is fully recovered from last spring’s elbow repair and capable of leading them to title contention.

“It’s a nice feeling, having stability at that position,” Lynch said. “People forget last year was Brock’s first full year as a starter. That leaves you feeling pretty good about his opportunity with what we’ve already seen in a couple of years. Last year, he was coming off the injury. We’re past that. It just gives you a lot of confidence going in.

“Now it’s likely we’re kind of building around him. It gives you a foundation to build off, and that’s a really good feeling, a settling feeling.”

As for why it’s so hard to find a quarterback, Lynch noted the variables between college and pro schematics. “What you do know is if you draft a good one or find a good one, you have a lot better chance to be successful,” Lynch added. “It could happen early, it could happen with the last pick of the draft. When you have one, your team is a lot better and your chance to win goes up substantially.”

Restocked draft picks

After a two-year absence from the first round (by virtue of trading away those picks to Miami as part of the move to get Lance), the 49ers are slated to pick No. 31 overall, in the first of 11 expected draft picks.

“We’ve got a first-round pick for the first time in a long while. That’s nice. We focus on making them all count,” Lynch said. “They all have an opportunity to improve your organization. We put as much pride into the late rounds as the early ones.”

Praising Ji’Ayir Brown

Safety Ji’Ayir Brown went from being a third-round pick last year — and first in the 49ers’ draft class — to a Super Bowl starter who intercepted Patrick Mahomes just after halftime.

“I was real proud of Ji’Ayir,” Lynch said. “… He didn’t pout when he wasn’t playing. He went and excelled at special teams. He sat back and never wasted a day lamenting a day he wasn’t starting. He picked their brain (of safeties Tashaun Gipson and Talanoa Hufanga) to learn, so when he got his opportunity, he could shine. … He got a pick in the Super Bowl. The guy’s a stud and we’re fortunate to have him.”

Personnel department moves

Tariq Ahmad will have a bigger role in the draft but share the title of Director of Player Personnel with R.J. Gillen as Lynch reorganizes his personnel department, in the wake of former assistant GM Adam Peters leaving to become the Washington Commanders’ general manager. Ahmad previously served as the Director of College Scouting; Gillen was the Director of Pro Personnel and has been with the team for nine seasons.

Peters eyes next Purdy

Entrusted with the NFL Draft’s No. 2 pick as the Commanders’ general manager, Peters can lean on his past seven seasons in the 49ers’ personnel department, and, specifically, the pre-draft analysis two years of Brock Purdy, who was taken with the 262nd and final pick in 2022.

“If we thought he was that good, we probably wouldn’t have waited until the last pick. But, no, we liked him that much,” Peters told reporters. “Now I’ve got to find a new quarterback.” Sam Howell, a 2022 fifth-round pick, was the Commanders’ starter last season, and Peters noted he getting to know Howell this month as they went for a walk around the team’s practice fields. There was a process to getting to know Purdy, too.

“He was always composed, like he is now. He’s the same guy every day. His tape was what really turned us on, then you meet the person,” Peters added. “This (combine) is only a little part of the process. But everything he did at Iowa State and how well he played the position, we really thought he could fit in really well with our scheme.”

Seahawks’ new ideas

The newest coach to the NFC West is Mike Macdonald, who left his post as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator to succeed Pete Carroll after his 14-year run as the Seattle Seahawks’ coach.

John Schneider, the Seahawks’ general manager, said: “To see him put his staff together, it’s been exciting. It’s been eye-opening. We learned a lot through the whole process. A lot of lessons and new ideas. We’re just getting to know each other. It’s crazy, 15 years ago, Pete and I were here together and it doesn’t seem that long ago, trying to get to know each other and understand each other’s philosophies.” Macdonald, like Shanahan, is among the 12 coaches not slated to speak at the combine.

Brandon Staley, the Los Angeles Chargers’ coach the past three seasons, and Nick Sorensen, a 49ers defensive assistant the past two years, have both interviewed with Shanahan, a league source confirmed Monday.

More candidates likely will be interviewed this week, including 49ers secondary coach Daniel Bullocks, as first reported by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, who communicated with Shanahan.

Three days after the 49ers lost Super Bowl LVIII to the Kansas City Chiefs, Steve Wilks was fired after one season as defensive coordinator, a role previously held by Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans before they became head coaches of the New York Jets (2021) and the Houston Texans (2023).

Staley compiled a 24-24 record before the Chargers fired him in December, when the team was 5-9. He served as the 2020 Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator, the only time he’s served in that role in the NFL. He coached linebackers with the Chicago Bears (2017-18) and the Denver Broncos (2019) after nearly a decade in the collegiate ranks.

Sorensen worked with the 49ers’ nickel backs last season as their pass-game coordinator. He joined the organization in 2022 as a defensive assistant. His familiarity with the 49ers’ defensive scheme traces to his days on Pete Caroll’s Seattle Seahawks staffs from 2013-2020.

For a third straight season, Shanahan will not attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, although general manager John Lynch will be there representing the 49ers and meeting with the media on Tuesday at 11 a.m. PT.

Lapses in protection helped lead to the 49ers’ demise in Super Bowl LVIII. Hence, upgrading the offensive line is among their top priorities this offseason.

Must they get an immediate starter, somewhere to the right of All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams? Maybe, maybe not. But they must increase the competition and depth. They have a franchise quarterback to protect, not to mention the NFL rushing champion in Christian McCaffrey, as well as other star talent in George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and, presumably, Brandon Aiyuk, who’s only locked into the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.

Offensive linemen will be the final prospects to go through drills Sunday as the NFL Scouting Combine concludes Sunday in Indianapolis. John Lynch, the 49ers’ eighth-year general manager, is scheduled to speak to the media at 11 a.m. (PT) Tuesday; coach Kyle Shanahan is not slated to attend or speak for the third straight combine.

Here is a closer look at the offensive line:

UNDER CONTRACT

Left tackle Trent Williams (team-high $30 million cap figure), center Jake Brendel ($4.7 million), right tackle Colton McKivitz ($3.6 million), left guard Aaron Banks ($2.3 million), right guard Spencer Burford ($1.2 million), tackle Jaylon Moore ($1.2 million), guard Nick Zakelj ($1 million), tackle Sebastian Gutierrez ($915,000), tackle Isaac Alarcon ($795,000), Corey Luciano ($795,000).

FREE AGENTS

Guard Jon Feliciano, tackle Matt Pryor, guard Ben Bartch

2024 PLAN

Banks is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and as an entrenched starter, don’t be surprised if he lands a lucrative deal before, say, Brandon Aiyuk or Chase Young. But what do the 49ers do at right guard, where Spencer Burford has eyes on reclaiming the starting spot, fueling himself further by his third-down breakdown in the Super Bowl? Feliciano shouldn’t be excommunicated for pointing out Burford’s gaffe, but perhaps the 49ers look for a young brute to take over at right guard and/or to challenge Brendel at center.

While McKivitiz should be safe to return at right tackle, the 49ers need better options, not only there, but to potentially succeed Williams down the road. Williams, 35, dismissed talk of retirement after the Super Bowl loss, so another year or two is all the 49ers have to deliver him to the winner’s circle.

The 49ers did not use any of their nine draft picks last year on an offensive lineman. That cannot happen again April 25-27. Using their top pick (currently No. 31 overall) would be understandable if it’s on an immediate starting lineman.

2023 REVIEW

The 49ers’ offensive line meshed into an overshadowed yet quality outfit as the season progressed. Williams’ ankle injury and absence played a big role in the October three-game losing streak. McKivitiz aptly replaced Mike McGlinchey, though he had to shake off the three sacks he allowed to T.J. Watt in the opener. McKivitz and Brendel started every game. Feliciano supplanted Burford as the starter at right guard, and that worked well up until the Super Bowl, with Feliciano leaving injured after a mixed day and Burford coming on to inexplicably leave Chris Jones unblocked on Purdy’s final pass, a third-down incompletion from the 9-yard line in overtime that led to a field goal instead of a more-needed touchdown.

PLAYER QUOTE

“This feeling shall pass. Once spring rolls around, everyone will have the same hunger to get back, have a chance to win the Super Bowl.” — Trent Williams, two days after Super Bowl LVIII

SHANAHAN QUOTE

“You want to invest in wherever you think makes you the best team. You can sit there and load up on O-linemen and draft them three years in a row and go spend on free agents and then not have many people score touchdowns and things like that, or rush the quarterback. You can do a lot of that type of stuff. It just depends how it goes. But in that (Super Bowl), I didn’t feel like we were struggling just blocking them. We missed a few blitz pickups, which is what they do, that’s why they’re second in the league at that stuff. That doesn’t always come down to O-linemen. That comes down to kind of hot throws, things like that. But you’re going to always try to upgrade at everything.” – Kyle Shanahan, two days after Super Bowl LVIII

“I’ve been a proud father,” Gore said in an exclusive interview with this news organization. “Just the process, how he’s handled it, man, he’s stepped up to the plate every time.”

And now his namesake is on the NFL’s doorstep, following in the legendary footsteps of the 49ers’ all-time leading rusher.

Frank Gore Jr., after four seasons at Southern Miss, emerged as the offensive MVP of the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1 in Frisco, Texas. As he received that trophy, his admiring father recorded the moment on the field with his phone.

“Everybody questioned him about the level he’d been playing, and at the East-West Shrine Bowl, he killed that. He had a great week,” Gore said of his son. “That let him know he’s a football player.

“… I’m happy he got to play with Power Five guys at the Shrine Bowl, and look how it came out,” Gore added. “He had a great week of practice and a lot of people felt he was the best one at the position. That’s a plus.”

ON THE MOVE!!!!

Frank Gore Jr. (@stn_2lit) @SouthernMissFB | #ShrineBowl
pic.twitter.com/PpYNadgTib

— East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) February 2, 2024

And the West gets the scoring started with a 48-yard touchdown run by Frank Gore Jr (@frankgore), reaching a top speed of 20.6 MPH.

@shrinebowl

— Zebra Sports (@ZebraSports) February 2, 2024

A 49-yard touchdown run on a third-and-1 carry sparked Gore’s West team to a 26-11 win.

“I know there’s a lot of questions about me, because I’m from a small school,” Gore Jr. said, according to LoneStarLive.com. “So I had a chip on my shoulder to come in and sort of prove to everyone that I belonged.”

That should have been evident as he ran for 4,022 yards, the third-most in Southern Miss history. He ran for an FBS bowl record 329 yards in the December 2022 LendingTree Bowl in a 38-24 win over Rice.

That, along with grueling training sessions in South Florida ahead of the combine, may not translate to getting drafted in the early rounds like his father. But this month’s Shrine Bowl performance certainly should lead to the name “Gore” being called during the NFL Draft in late April; the 49ers are projected to have 11 picks.

“I tell people he had chances to go to a bigger school. Miami wanted him, and I did not want him to go, because I feel like he became a man when he went up out of here,” the elder Gore said. “Kentucky wanted him. He had opportunities to go to a Power Five (conference).

“I told him that if he’s OK being with his friends and he likes his coach, scouts who really watch tape will find him.”

Steve Smith Sr. on Frank Gore Jr.: “If you watch football, you can see Frank Gore Jr. and his dad in him with the way he carries his shoulder pads, the way he runs, the way he carries the ball and the way he finishes. I think Frank Gore Jr. has a great opportunity to show you…

— Sam Sklar (@sklarsam_) February 2, 2024

At 5-foot-7 and 199 pounds, he’s not quite as big as his father, whose 5-foot-9, 212-pound frame saw its way through tiny cracks and persevered long enough over 16 NFL seasons to run for 16,000 yards, the third-most in NFL history.

Gore was the 2005 draft’s third-round steal out of Miami. Most teams, including the 49ers, considered him a major health risk because of his knee and shoulder injuries. He played for the 49ers from 2005-2014, covering 11,073 yards in his No. 21 jersey that no one else has worn since he was ushered out as a free agent. He finished his playing days with the 2015-17 Indianapolis Colts, the 2018 Miami Dolphins, the 2019 Buffalo Bills and the 2020 New York Jets. A brief dalliance as a professional boxer followed.

This past year, the 49ers brought back Gore to launch his career as a personnel advisor, a year after he signed a ceremonial contract signifying his retirement. That also triggered the start of his five-year wait to become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Offensive MVP Frank Gore Jr with a 49 TD run on the West’s opening drive and tonight’s offensive MVP with his father in attendance #EastWestShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/Eit5nMiuo5

— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) February 2, 2024

Having long adored the York family that owns the 49ers, Gore spent this past year not only attending college games to scout players and 49ers games to support the franchise, but also relishing his time learning other aspects of the operation, from the business side with Paraag Marathe to the personnel and coaching departments with general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan.

“Kyle is a smart guy. I was surprised sitting around him how he really understands and knows players so well. A lot of coaches aren’t like that,” Gore said. “He really knows football players, bro. He really knows what to look for.”

Gore has proven to have a keen eye for talent, and he enjoys when the 49ers’ seasoned evaluators challenge him and ask for his opinion.

“Lynch asks me certain questions when we watch film, ‘What do you think about this, what do you think about that?’ But this being my first year, I want to respect those other guys (in the personnel department),” Gore said. “Just because I played ball, I don’t feel I know everything. I’d rather let them ask me what I feel about something instead of just jumping into it. That’s their field, man. I know I played ball but I still have to learn that field.”

In that case: What do you think about Frank Gore Jr. as an NFL prospect?

“Very good football player,” began the scouting report from his father and the 49ers’ novice advisor. “Tough. Great eyes. Great feet. He’s going to do whatever it takes that the team that drafts him made the right decision. He’s got top-end speed. Some days he can go, some days he won’t.

“Great vision. Great heart. Stronger than what people think. But a good football player, man.”

In a probable cause statement, Trooper Jordan Hazzard-Thomas, who helped respond to the traffic stop, reported talking to Sherman and noticing “the odor of intoxicants” and that Sherman’s eyes appeared to be “bloodshot and watery.”

Emails seeking comment on Sherman’s arrest were sent Saturday to a representative listed on his social media sites and to an attorney who has represented him in the past. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Sherman was expected to have a court hearing Monday.

Sherman, a three-time All-Pro cornerback, had an 11-year career in the NFL and helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title during the 2013 season.

One of the top defensive standouts of his generation, he was named in 2020 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s.

Sherman spent seven seasons in Seattle before going to San Francisco for three. He also played for Tampa Bay, and during his college years at Stanford University.

More recently he worked as a football analyst.

Sherman in 2022 pleaded guilty in Seattle to two misdemeanor charges stemming from a drunken driving and domestic disturbance the year before. He also admitted to a criminal infraction of speeding in a roadway construction zone.

Culpo, the actor, model, influencer and 2012 Miss Universe, posted a photo Friday that shows her sitting on her fiancé’s lap on a terrace with a scenic ocean view. It’s possible that the photo was taken while the couple recently vacationed in Mexico.

Cult’s caption intriguingly reads: “Thanking God for a healthy season and for putting my best friend on this earth. Now let’s get married!”

To heighten speculation that a wedding is soon to take place, Culpo is dressed in a flowing white sundress. She’s also holding their dog, Oliver Sprinkles.

McCaffrey likewise is dressed in white. He furthermore promoted Culpo’s post on his own Instagram Story, sharing the “Now let’s get married” declaration with three heart emojis.

Culpo and the 49ers running back have been dating since 2019 and announced their engagement last April.

Following the 49ers 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Culpo and McCaffrey traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to relax and decompress. For this trip, they also were joined by other 49ers players teammates and their wives: tight end George Kittle and Claire Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk and Kristen Juszczyk.

During the trip, Culpo shared a TikTok video of herself, Claire Kittle and Kristen Juszczyk enjoying drinks at the bar and letting their fans know that, yes, it hurt for the 49ers to lose the Super Bowl. The video had a voiceover titled, “I would give the pain a 10,” and Culpo captioned the video, “If you’re wondering how we’re holding up.”

Culpo and McCaffrey also were photographed by TMZ walking on the beach together.

Oliver was released Thursday in the 49ers’ first significant, yet expected, departure following their Super Bowl loss, aside from defensive coordinator Steve Wilks’ firing last week.

Signed in free agency last spring (two years, $6.8 million), Oliver struggled in the nickel-back role for which he was cast, so much so that he did not play a defensive snap in any of the 49ers’ three playoff games. He was slated to make $3.1 million in salary in 2024.

The 49ers scrambled to find the right combination when deploying three cornerbacks. With Oliver effectively benched at midseason in the wake of a three-game losing streak, the 49ers caught their stride with Deommodore Lenoir shifting from right cornerback to the inside slot in their nickel package. In that look, Ambry Thomas would enter at right cornerback opposite Charvarius Ward, who enjoyed a Pro Bowl season but required core muscle surgery this week. Jason Verrett was poised to debut at nickel back in his comeback attempt but a shoulder injury scuttled that plan in Week 18.

By the time the 49ers got into the playoffs and Super Bowl LVIII, veteran Logan Ryan lined up at nickel back, and his late coverage allowed Mecole Hardman to catch Patrick Mahomes’ winning touchdown pass in the 49ers’ 25-22 overtime loss.

Ryan is among the 49ers slated to hit free agency March 13.

With Ward and Lenoir entrenched as starting cornerbacks, the 49ers enter another offseason seeking a solution at nickel back, where K’Waun Williams and then Jimmie Ward performed well in that role in past years; Williams, 32, will become a free agent if the Denver Broncos do not re-sign him.

Oliver’s job security seemed tenuous throughout training camp. His lone interception with the 49ers helped propel their Week 2 win against the host Los Angeles Rams, with him picking off Matthew Stafford in the third quarter to set up a go-ahead field goal in that 30-23 win. Oliver was limited to 35 special-teams snaps in the playoffs, after playing every defensive snap in the regular-season finale as Ward and Lenoir rested.

Cornerbacks still on the 49ers’ roster: Ward, Lenoir, Thomas, Darrell Luter Jr., Sam Womack III, and Kemon Hall.

Coach Kyle Shanahan has yet to announce Wilks’ replacement as defensive coordinator.