Can the 49ers Win A Super Bowl This Season?

Image Credit: 49ers.com 

By: Vyom Dixit 

The 2026 NFL season is underway! The season started on September 9 with the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, playing against the runners-up from last season, the New England Patriots. The game was a defensive slugfest, with the Seahawks winning 13-10.

Recap of Last Season and Offseason

The 49ers finished the 2025 regular season with a record of 12-5, which was shocking given the amount of injuries they had last season. They didn’t have many issues besides injuries. With all the injuries they had, they were able to make the playoffs and even got a win in the first round.

During the offseason, they made some big moves like signing wide receiver Mike Evans, who is super reliable. He is tied for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons with 11 straight. They also brought back both wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is one of the most versatile players in the league, along with linebacker Dre Greenlaw. They sadly lost defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, but hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris as his replacement. 

In the 2026 NFL Draft, the 49ers had 8 draft picks. In the second round, they picked wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling from Ole Miss. He hasn’t played much this season due to injuries, but in the preseason games, he looked like a future star of the team. In the third round, they drafted edge rusher Romello Height from Texas Tech and running back Kaelon Black from Indiana. In the fourth round, they drafted defensive tackle Gracen Halton from Oklahoma as well as offensive tackle Carver Willis and cornerback Ephesians Prysock, both from Washington. In the game against the Seahawks, Halton played a big role and even had a crucial fumble recovery for a touchdown. In the fifth round, they selected linebacker Jaden Dugger and offensive tackle Enrique Cruz Jr. from Kansas.

Review of 49ers season

The 49ers are currently looking like one of the best teams in the NFL! They’ve started the season with a 6-1 record. Their only loss was to the Atlanta Falcons on the road. Otherwise, the defense is playing out of their minds, allowing only 19 points per game. The offense is one of the most explosive and efficient offenses in the league. Quarterback Brock Purdy is playing like an MVP candidate throwing for 1,460 passing yards and 14 touchdown passes. Wide receiver Mike Evans is the perfect big-bodied wide receiver the team has needed and is reliable on third down. On defense, they excel at holding down teams to not getting many yards, and they constantly pressure the quarterback. Fans were skeptical of new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, but he has completely proved the haters wrong and is a massive reason the defense is doing so well. Like most seasons since 2020, the 49ers have consistently been one of the most injured teams in the league. Some notable injured players are Mike Evans, who has been playing with Achilles soreness and broken ribs; defensive end Nick Bosa, who has an injured calf; wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who has a hamstring injury; and wide receiver Rick Pearsall, who is out for the season with a PCL injury. The season could be ruined if these injuries worsen. So far, even with the injuries, the 49ers are still playing like one of the best teams in the league. Once the team is fully healthy, they could be unstoppable. While injuries are the main issue, they didn’t lose to the Atlanta Falcons simply because Atlanta was the better team. Instead they beat themselves with costly penalties and avoidable turnovers that stemmed from a lack of ball security.

Week 9 (Nov 8) vs Las Vegas Raiders 

Time: 1:05 pm PST

The Raiders have overachieved this season. Their new first-year head coach Klint Kubiak has made this team miles better than last season. The Raiders already have more wins as they did last season, which was three. Last season, the Raiders had the 7th-fewest passing yards and the fewest rushing yards. This season, they have one of the best scoring offenses, averaging 27 points per game. Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is playing very efficient football with a 63% completion rate and has thrown for 16 touchdowns. Tight end Brock Bowers is averaging almost 100 receiving yards per game, and if he keeps this up, he can have the most single-season receiving yards by a tight end ever! 

Unlike their offense, the Raiders’ defense was mediocre last season. Their rushing defense allowed a total of 1,986 rushing yards which was the 17th most. Their pass defense allowed the 13th most passing yards with a total of 3,644. This season, the Raiders are relatively the same on passing defense but their rushing defense is a lot worse. They’ve allowed the most total rushing yards and 5.2 yards per carry. 

The 49ers’ game plan should focus on the run game. They should rotate the two running backs, Kaelon Black and Christian McCaffrey, so McCaffrey doesn’t get injured. They should keep running the ball. On defense, they should focus on pressuring Kirk Cousins because he’s not the most mobile quarterback. They also need to make sure that tight end Brock Bowers doesn’t get going. If he does, it makes the offense a lot harder to stop and it will be a massive problem for the 49ers defense. 

I think this could be an offensive shootout, but I trust the 49ers’ defense a lot more than the Raiders’ defense because they allow too many explosive plays which leads to a lot of points being scored. I predict the 49ers winning 31-19. 

Week 10 (Nov 15) at Dallas Cowboys 

Time: 1:25 pm PST

A massive rivalry game on the road! The Dallas Cowboys are one of the 49ers’ biggest rivals. It is widely considered the best non-divisional rivalry. The 49ers currently lead the series all-time with 21 wins, 19 losses, and 1 tie.

The Cowboys have one of the best passing offenses in the league thanks to their quarterback, Dak Prescott. He also has two elite wide receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Both players had over 1,000 receiving yards in the previous season. While the Cowboys have a good pass game, their rushing offense needs a lot of work. Their total rushing yards are the 9th least in the league with 660 rushing yards. On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys’s defense is not reliable especially with their rush defense. Their passing defense has allowed the 14th most in the league with 1,646 yards allowed and has the most rushing yards allowed with 1,020 yards. 

I think the 49ers should run the football on offense since the Cowboys struggle at defending the run the most. Both Kaelon Black and Christian McCaffrey will have a great game with how flawed the Cowboys’ run defense is. Even if the run game is working great, they should mix it up a little and keep the defense on its toes. On defense, stopping both Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens is going to be a major problem. The main focus should be on the pass game because if even one of them gets going, the offense becomes far more explosive and it’ll be a long game for the 49ers defense. If the 49ers can’t blow the Cowboys out, they should try to give the Cowboys the last possession with as little time as possible so it puts some pressure on Dak Prescott. Prescott is known for making mistakes in high moments especially in big games like this one. 

I think the turning point is the defense. The 49ers defense is way better than the Cowboys and that could make a huge difference. Because I don’t trust this Cowboys defense and the form that the 49ers’ offense is looking unstoppable. I have the 49ers winning 41-24. 

Week 11 (Nov 22) vs Minnesota Vikings

Time: 5:20 pm PST

This game will be a showdown with two elite defenses! The game is actually being played in Mexico City as part of the NFL’s international games. It’ll be the 49ers second international game of the season with their first being in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. 

The Vikings’ defense is one of the best defenses in the league. They’ve allowed 587 rushing yards, which is the 3rd least in the league. They’ve also allowed the fewest passing yards with 1,085. The Vikings offense is not consistent. Their run game is mediocre with 716 yards, and their pass game which is the 2nd least in the league with 1,088 yards. The main issue for this is their quarterback, Kyler Murray. Kyler Murray is very inconsistent. He can look like one of the best quarterbacks in the league one week and the next looks like one of the worst. It’s not like he doesn’t have the weapons either. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the best wide receivers in the league. For every season of his career, he has had at least 1,000 receiving yards. He will be a problem 

The 49ers’ defensive game plan should focus on overwhelming Kyler Murray. He is known for bad decision-making. If they can successfully pressure him, he may force the ball into a tight window, which could  lead to some turnovers. He is great when it comes to using his legs to run so they need to keep him in the pocket as well. They should also make sure that Justin Jefferson doesn’t get going. On offense, the 49ers should mix it up with the run and pass in the first half. The reason I say the first half is so they can see if the run or pass is working better. Once they figure out what is working better, the game plan can be based on it. 

I think this game ultimately comes down to quarterback play. I simply do not trust Kyler Murray, and the Vikings really depend on their defense to win a lot. For these reasons, I think the 49ers will win with a final score of 23-13.

Week 12 (Nov 29) vs Seattle Seahawks 

Time: 1:25pm PST

A huge divisional rivalry game against the defending Super Bowl champions! The Seahawks eliminated the 49ers in the playoffs last season in the Divisional Round with a final score of 41-6. They also faced off in Week 5 in Seattle in a shootout. The final score was 32-29 with the 49ers winning. Wide receiver Mike Evans had a fantastic game with 7 catches, 113 yards, and a touchdown. He did all of that with two broken ribs, which is unbelievable. 

The Seahawks have a respectable passing game with a total of 1,726 passing yards. Their quarterback Sam Darnold is a reliable game manager and uses his offensive weapons very well. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the most explosive wide receivers in the league. Last season, he had 1,793 receiving yards and won the offensive player of the year award. Their rushing offense is productive, with a total of 796 yards, which is 12th in the league. On defense, the Seahawks have an elite passing defense with 1,106 yards allowed, which is 2nd least in the league. Their rushing defense is not as good as their pass defense but is still solid. They’re 11th in the league in total rushing yards allowed with 626 yards allowed. 

The 49ers’ defensive game plan should be similar to their game against the Vikings. Sam Darnold is known for forcing throws under pressure. The 49ers should double-team Jaxon Smith-Njigba if he starts to get going because, if they don’t, he’s going to have a really big game. On offense, the 49ers do a mix of both the run and pass since the Seahawks are good at defending both. Just like the Vikings’ game, they should figure out what works and base their game plan around that. 

I think the game comes down to if the 49ers can stop Jaxon Smith-Njigba. I think the 49ers’s defense is elite, but I don’t know if they can stop him. I predict the Seahawks winning 24-20. 

Week 13 (Dec 6) at New York Giants

Time: 10:00 am PST

The Giants have had a disastrous season so far. Their starting quarterback Jaxson Dart is out for the season with a left knee injury. Their new quarterback is J.J. McCarthy. While being known for his inconsistency, so far he has played well throwing for 495 yards. The Giants’ pass game is solid with 1,702 yards which is 12th highest in the league. Their rushing offense is slightly better than their pass game, with 817 total yards, which is 11th in the league. On defense, the pass defense is great with having the 5th least passing yards allowed with 1,345. Their rushing defense is terrible with 897 yards allowed, which is the 7th most yards allowed. 

Since the Giants aren’t the best at defending the run, the 49ers should keep running the ball and rotate between Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black. On defense, the 49ers need to be prepared for anything because both the Giants’ passing and rushing game can be a threat.

The Giants aren’t the same team without Jaxson Dart, and they are a rebuilding franchise. The 49ers are overall just the better team because they’re more physical and have the better quarterback. Because of this, I predict they will win 27-14. 

Week 14 (Dec 13) vs Los Angeles Rams 

Time: 1:25 pm PST

Another big divisional rivalry game! The 49ers and Rams faced off in Week 1 of the NFL season in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers won in a dominant 27-7 win. The Rams have an incredibly star-studded roster. Their quarterback Matthew Stafford is the reigning MVP, wide receiver Puka Nacua is one of the best wide receivers in the league, and edge rusher Myles Garrett won the defensive player of the year (DPOY) award and had 23 sacks, the most in a season ever.  

The Rams’s passing offense has the most passing yards in the league with 2,002 yards, and they have 875 total rushing yards, which is the 7th most in the league. The pass defense for the Rams has allowed 1,351 passing yards, which is 6th least in the league. Their new cornerback Trent McDuffie, who is known for his physical tackling, has been a big reason for this. Their rush defense is competent but nowhere near the level of their pass defense. They’ve allowed a total of 810 rushing yards, which is 12th most in the league. 

Although the Rams have allowed the least passing yards in the league, I think the 49ers should pass the ball. In Week 1, Brock Purdy was able to throw for 205 yards against the Rams. It may not seem like a lot at first but Purdy was able to spread the ball a lot, which caused the Rams’s defense to fall apart. They need to make sure they get rid of the ball quickly so Myles Garrett doesn’t create issues. They also need to get to a hot start. Matthew Stafford shows up when it matters, making him a very clutch quarterback, and he cannot have the last possession of the game. On defense, the 49ers need to stop Puka Nacua and put as much pressure as they can on Matthew Stafford because he won’t get out of it quick enough because he is not that fast and it breaks down the Rams’ offense leading them to be less efficient.

The 49ers dominated the Rams once this season, and they’ll do it again. I don’t think it’ll be as dominant, but I think the 49ers defense will put a lot of pressure on Stafford, which may be a turning point. I have the 49ers winning 30-20. 

Week 15 (Dec 17) at Los Angeles Chargers

Time: 5:15 pm PST

Even though this is an away game, it is kind of like a home game. The reason I say this is because anytime the 49ers play on the road in Los Angeles, the stadium is filled with 49ers fans. With the fans being incredibly loud, it disrupts the offense leading to communication issues. This isn’t just the case in Los Angeles but also in other cities like New York and Las Vegas. The fans are known for showing up when the team goes on the road. 

 The Chargers are playing horrendous football right now. Their passing offense has the 3rd fewest passing yards with 1,141. Their rushing offense is a lot better but far from great. They have a total of 714 rushing yards, which is the 18th most in the league. The pass defense is average. They’ve allowed 1,297 passing yards, which is the 3rd least in the league. Their rush defense is noticeably weaker. They’ve allowed the 14th most rushing yards with 743 yards. 

The 49ers on defense need to take advantage of the Chargers’ offensive line starters being injured. They need to pressure quarterback Justin Herbert. On offense, the 49ers need to run the ball. I think they should pass if needed. If the game does get close, the 49ers can still win because the Chargers’ defense is known for making mistakes at the end of games. 

I think the 49ers will win this game pretty dominantly. Justin Herbert is not playing his best football, and the defense makes costly mistakes in the big moments. I predict the 49ers winning 27-7. 

Week 16 (Dec 27) at Kansas City Chiefs

Time: 1:25 pm PST

A Super Bowl rematch in one of the toughest road environments in the league! This game can go either way. The Chiefs’ passing offense is not as lethal as it was in previous years, sitting with the 10th fewest passing yards in the league with 1,474 yards. Their quarterback Patrick Mahomes, one of the best players in the league, is coming off of a season ending injury last season and has had a mixed season so far. He played well against teams with average to below average defenses. Once he played against the Seahawks who have an elite defensive unit, he played one of his worst games of his career. He threw for 165 yards and an interception. Their rushing offense has been devastating. They have 849 rushing yards which is the 9th highest in the league. Their new running back and last year’s Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker has had a fantastic season so far. So far, he has 701 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. Similar to Mahomes, Walker hasn’t gone against a top tier defense. Once he faced Seattle, he had a terrible game. He had 14 carries for only 36 rushing yards. That’s only 2.6 yards per carry. On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs’ pass defense is one of the best in the league. They have allowed 1,377 passing yards which is 7th in the league. The Chiefs’ rush defense is significantly better. They’ve allowed the 5th least rushing yards in the league with 597 yards. 

If the 49ers’ defense wants to stop the Chiefs’ offense, I think they should watch the Seahawks game. They should see what the Seahawks did on defense and implement that as their gameplan. On offense, mix it up. Make the defense have to guess if it’s a run or pass. If the 49ers can get going early on both sides of the ball, they need to do the same in the first half. They cannot stop putting their foot on the gas. There shouldn’t be any breathing room if they have a lead. If the game does come close, they need to make sure they have the final possession. The Chiefs like having the last possession of the game and are very successful when they do. 

I think this is a massive game. I think Patrick Mahomes is definitely going to be a problem no matter what the 49ers do on defense. Slowing down Kenneth Walker is also going to be a tough task. Despite all this, I still think the 49ers will get it done in a close 34-26 win but I can see this game going either way. 

Week 17 (Jan 3) vs Philadelphia Eagles

Time: 5:20pm PST

As of late, the 49ers and Eagles have developed a very intense and heated rivalry. It started near the end of the 2022-2023 season National Football Conference (NFC) Championship game. The Eagles won 31-7. They later faced off in the following season, with the 49ers winning 42-19. They also played each other in the first round of the playoffs last season. The 49ers won for the second time in a row this time with a score of 23-19. 

This season, the Eagles have been underwhelming on both offense and defense. Like the 49ers, they’re also having problems with injuries. Their starting quarterback Jalen Hurts is out for the season. Meanwhile, running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith have hamstring injuries and outside linebacker Nolan Smith has missed time under the concussion protocol. 

The Eagles  have the 8th least total passing yards with 1,359. Because Jalen Hurts is out for the season, their new quarterback for the season is Tanner McKee. The Eagles rushing offense is just nowhere near an upgrade from the passing game. They have a total of 614 rushing yards, which is 6th in the league. The Eagles’ pass defense has allowed 1,735 passing yards, which is the 6th highest. Their rush defense has allowed 920 yards, which is the 5th most in the league. Head coach Nick Sirianni is on the hot seat and has a lot of pressure this season. 

I think the 49ers on defense need to overwhelm Tanner McKee with a bunch of pressure from the defensive line. They need to take advantage that he is not an experienced quarterback due to little playing time. On offense, they can focus on either running or throwing the football. I don’t think the Eagles will stop Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black and I doubt they can stop Brock Purdy and Mike Evans. 

I simply do not trust this Eagles’ offense with Tanner McKee. He hasn’t shown that he can be a solid quarterback. Their head coach Nick Sirianni consistently makes mistakes in the second half such as the blown 20-10 lead against the Rams. I have the 49ers winning 31-10. 

Week 18 (Jan 10) at Arizona Cardinals 

Time: TBD

Final game of the regular season against a division rival! They previously played against each other in Week 3 of the season where the 49ers won 36-30 in a surprisingly close game. The Cardinals’ pass offense is serviceable but needs work, with 1,607 yards, which is the 15th least in the league. They don’t have the most offensive weapons besides tight end Trey McBride. Their rushing offense is definitely a strength. They have 672 rushing yards, which is the 11th least in the league. On defense, the pass defense hasn’t shone at all. They’ve allowed the 8th most yards with 1,706. Their rush defense isn’t any better. They’ve allowed 884 yards, which is the 9th most. 

The 49ers’ offensive game plan should focus on the pass. Last time they played, Brock Purdy threw for 297 yards, so it was clearly working the last time. On defense, the 49ers should just be ready for anything. They don’t need to focus on the run or pass specifically. They must make sure Trey McBride doesn’t get going because if he does, he can really put the team on his back.

This is the final week of the season, and the 49ers will finish it on a good note with a 31-14 win. 

Final Record

With my predictions, the 49ers will finish the year with a 15-2 record which would not just win them their division but also the number one seed NFC which earns them a first round bye. I think if Brock Purdy keeps playing as well as he is right now, he will definitely have a shot at winning his first MVP award. Linebacker Fred Warner is having one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 10.1 tackles per game, making him a favorite for the DPOY award. The 49ers are playing at an incredibly high level right now and I won’t be surprised if they make it all the way to the Super Bowl—and this time, maybe even win it.  

Works Cited 

nfl.com