The San Francisco 49ers were expected to be contenders as usual after narrowly losing last season’s Super Bowl, but instead it has been a tortuous year.

They have had to deal with an unbelievable rash of injuries to key players, as well as several cases of misfortune off the field, and it has resulted in a 6-8 record and virtually no shot at getting to the playoffs entering Week 16.

Some want the Niners to tank in their last three games in order to improve their draft positioning, but general manager John Lynch wants them to play to win in order to evaluate who on the roster truly has heart and character.

“You find out a lot more about people when times are tough than when times are good,” Lynch said, via 49ers on NBCS.

One San Francisco player who hasn’t shown heart or character is linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who refused to enter the Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Rams and was subsequently suspended for the last three games of the regular season schedule.

He had filled in for 13 games for Dre Greenlaw, who was recovering from a torn Achilles, and the incident came after Greenlaw played an excellent first half against the Rams but couldn’t continue in the third quarter.

San Francisco is expected to do at least some minor roster retooling this offseason, partly due to quarterback Brock Purdy’s likely contract extension, and also partly because several other players are either looking for extensions of their own or about to become free agents.

The Niners’ roster may look a lot different on the margins within a few months, but their core may remain largely intact as they look to continue their “Quest for Six” in 2025.