NFL · NFC West · Est. 1946 · Levi's Stadium
Updated March 17, 2026
After a disappointing 2024, the 49ers roared back with a 12-5 record and the NFC's No. 5 seed in 2025. Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan's offense found its rhythm again, and San Francisco proved that last year's struggles were an aberration, not a trend. The 49ers reminded the league that when healthy, they remain one of the NFC's most dangerous teams.
The 49ers' postseason was a tale of extremes. In the Wild Card round, San Francisco delivered a gritty 23-19 upset of the defending champion Eagles, one of the most impressive road wins of the entire playoffs. But the magic vanished a week later as the Seahawks dismantled them 41-6 in the Divisional Round — a blowout loss that raised serious questions about the team's ability to sustain playoff intensity over multiple weeks.
The 49ers proved they can still compete at a high level, but the gap between upsetting the Eagles and getting destroyed by the Seahawks illustrates how thin the margins are. With key players aging and cap constraints tightening, Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch face urgent decisions about how to retool the roster. Brock Purdy is the franchise quarterback, but San Francisco needs to maximize the remaining years of their championship-caliber core before it is too late.