The 49ers’ fell off the path back to the Super Bowl in 2020. How they get back on the path depends a lot on how they manage a number of offseason questions facing them.

Here are the four biggest story lines to follow for San Francisco as they aim to get back into contention in 2021:

Defensive coordinator carousel

(AP Photo/Jennifer Stewart)

All signs point to defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s exit. That’ll leave the first major vacancy on Kyle Shanahan’s staff since he arrived in 2017. The 49ers will have some outside options like Dan Quinn, or they could go with an internal candidate like DeMeco Ryans. Either way, who they hire will play a huge role in the team’s success next season and it’ll be one of their biggest offseason decisions.

Quarterback changes

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The Jimmy Garoppolo conversation isn’t going away no matter how many times Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch say they expect him to be the starter. Regardless of what happens with the starting quarterback, San Francisco needs to figure out what they’re doing behind Garoppolo. News of Deshaun Watson’s unhappiness with the Texans adds another layer of intrigue to the offseason as well. Even if Garoppolo stays, the 49ers could be looking for a player who slots in as the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Defensive backs, anyone?

(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)

What do the 49ers do in the secondary? They have all of their cornerbacks hitting free agency, along with starting strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. San Francisco’s prioritization of their corners will play a role not only in free agency, but it’ll also loom large when it comes to their decision-making in the draft. Going into 2021 with an entirely new group of corners wouldn’t be ideal. However, it’s not off the table.

Health concerns

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No offseason news for players will be good news for the 49ers. They dealt with COVID-19 issues and injuries to multiple receivers in the 2020 offseason. They also saw injuries derail their season beginning in Week 1 and continuing through the end of the season. There’s no good answer for their rash of ankle sprains, a couple torn ACLs and other ailments that sidelined players throughout the year. We may not see a change in personnel for San Francisco, but staying healthy throughout the offseason, and managing the draft and free agency with injury history in mind will play key roles for the 49ers’ health next season.