The 49ers head into their bye sitting at 6-1, and the reasons stretch well beyond a strong start from the offense. What’s made this run feel a little different is how several preseason doubts have flipped on their head.
Start with the offensive line, the group plenty of fans spent the offseason trashing. There was plenty of noise that San Francisco needed to add a lineman, and the assumption was the unit would be a problem again. Instead, the 49ers have gotten one of the steadier fronts in the league.
Through the first four games, Brock Purdy wasn’t sacked once. That had happened only four other times in the NFL since 1990.
And the protection hasn’t fallen apart since then. Purdy has dropped back 232 times and taken just seven sacks, while being pressured 62 times.
The 49ers also own the league’s lowest pressure rate at 26.7%.
That kind of stability has been a huge part of how San Francisco got to 6-1, especially after the line drew so much criticism over the past year.
The safety group has told a very different story from last season, too. That was the spot that looked the most vulnerable entering the 2026 season, with Ji'Ayir Brown viewed as a liability, Malik Mustapha struggling with tackles and angles, and Marques Sigle showing promise but fighting in coverage.
Raheem Morris has changed the tone of that entire room. Brown hasn’t been perfect, but he’s no longer the glaring issue he was a year ago.
Mustapha has come on hard, looking like a ferocious tiger out there. And before Sigle got hurt, he was rounding into a well-balanced player and taking the needed next steps.
The result has been a much cleaner, more complete safety group that’s lifted the defense.
There has also been real value coming from the rookie class, something the 49ers usually don’t get in big doses. This group has been different.
Gracen Halton has been a stud. Jaden Dugger has shown real versatility.
Romello Height is finding his footing. Kaelon Black has added a new dimension on offense.
And if De'Zhaun Stribling were healthy, that list might look even stronger.
Then there’s Purdy himself. He was already a good quarterback, but this season he’s looked even more comfortable and composed.
A big part of that is the improved line play, but even when protection breaks down or the play gets messy, he has stayed calm. He’s also been stacking up dimes, mostly to Mike Evans.
That strong start has pushed MVP chatter into the conversation, even if it’s far too early for that. What matters for the 49ers is that Purdy has been sharp, playing within himself and helping the offense hum.
In Other News...
49ers Keep Seeing Former Players Come Back For One Telling Reason
The 49ers have developed a familiar pattern over the years: a player leaves in free agency or via trade, spends time elsewhere, then eventually finds his way back to San Francisco. Dre Greenlaw, Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne and DeForest Buckner are among the notable names in that group, a list that says as much about the organizations appeal as it does about the realities of roster building in the NFL.
Some of those exits were driven by contract questions or role concerns, and the return trips have only reinforced how strong the pull can be once a player has experienced life outside the building. For the 49ers, it is a reminder that relationships matter, that not every departure is permanent, and that the franchise still carries enough weight for former players to circle back when the opportunity comes. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Decision On De'Zhaun Stribling Could Reveal A Lot
The 49ers are weighing whether to add another wide receiver before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and the answer could say plenty about how they view De'Zhaun Striblings place in the offense. The rookie has been working his way back from a Week 1 injury, leaving San Francisco with a decision point as it tries to sort out its depth and plan for the stretch run.
Stribling is expected to return in December, but he has yet to appear in a regular-season game, so the team still has limited evidence on how quickly he can handle a meaningful workload. If the 49ers make a move for a receiver, it would be a strong hint they are not counting on him to step into a major role immediately, which would make his eventual return even more interesting to watch. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Trade Deadline Focus May Be Changing In A Big Way
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the 49ers appear to be shifting their attention away from the receiver market and toward the trenches. San Francisco has already stretched its mid-round draft inventory thin, which makes another swing for a pass-catcher a tougher sell, especially with help at wideout expected to be on the way as injuries heal.
The more realistic path now looks like adding support on defense off the edge or shoring up the offensive line if the right deal surfaces. For a team trying to balance immediate needs with draft-pick preservation, that kind of pivot makes sense, even if it means the loudest deadline buzz around another receiver may never get much traction. [Read more 🡒]