The 49ers Had a Shot-Until Ownership Took It Away
When the Seahawks knocked off the 49ers in the 2013 NFC Championship Game and went on to dominate Super Bowl XLVIII, there was at least a sense of inevitability to it. That Seattle team was a juggernaut-stacked on both sides of the ball, led by a ferocious defense and a quarterback who knew how to win.
The 49ers, meanwhile, were aging. Frank Gore was grinding through the late stages of his career, Patrick Willis and Justin Smith were nearing the end, and Colin Kaepernick’s decline had already begun.
That loss hurt, but it made sense.
Fast forward to 2025, and the story is very different. The Seahawks are champions once again-but this time, they did it on the 49ers’ home turf.
And this time, it didn’t feel inevitable. It felt preventable.
This wasn’t a case of one team peaking while the other faded. The 2025 49ers were still in their window.
They had a quarterback on a team-friendly deal, a defense that-when healthy-could hang with anyone, and a coaching staff that knew how to gameplan for January football. But instead of doubling down, the organization pulled back.
Not because of cap constraints. Not because of a rebuild.
But because ownership decided it was time to tighten the purse strings.
And it cost them.
The Mysterious Spending Freeze
Let’s be clear: the 49ers had money to spend. They entered free agency with about $35 million in cap space after trading Deebo Samuel.
Brock Purdy’s extension was structured smartly, with just a $9.12 million cap hit in 2025. By the end of the season, San Francisco still had $20.1 million in cap space-seventh-most in the league.
So when GM John Lynch talked about a financial “reset” and players like Kyle Juszczyk mentioned “financial restrictions,” it didn’t add up. The cap wasn’t the issue.
The issue was cash. The kind of upfront money that comes out of ownership’s pocket, not the league’s accounting system.
And in 2025, Jed York decided he wasn’t spending it.
York tried to justify it by saying there weren’t impact players worth chasing in free agency. But that argument falls apart quickly.
The team gave its biggest deal to backup tight end Luke Farrell-three years, $20.5 million. That’s not exactly swinging for the fences.
And Farrell’s 2025 cap hit? Under $3 million.
Missed Opportunities Everywhere
The 49ers didn’t just sit out free agency-they let go of players who could’ve made a difference.
Maliek Collins, cut for cost reasons, went on to post 6.5 sacks for the Browns. That’s more than any 49ers defender managed in 2025.
San Francisco’s top pass rushers-Bryce Huff and midseason pickup Clelin Ferrell-each had just four sacks. Leonard Floyd, another cap casualty, logged 3.5 sacks for the Falcons and brought run-stopping ability the 49ers sorely missed after Mykel Williams’ ACL tear.
Then there were the free agents they could’ve signed. Joey Bosa was available and linked to the team.
His five sacks would’ve led the 49ers after his younger brother, Nick, went down early in the season. DeMarcus Lawrence signed a cheaper deal with (of all teams) Seattle and delivered six sacks for the Super Bowl champs.
His presence helped solidify a defense that didn’t need to be dominant-just good enough to let the offense hang on.
On offense, the missed chances were just as glaring. The 49ers were connected to center Drew Dalman, who ended up making the Pro Bowl in Chicago.
Meanwhile, San Francisco’s run game sputtered to one of its worst seasons under Kyle Shanahan. Before the Super Bowl, Shanahan admitted on NBC that his team couldn’t break Seattle’s two-high safety looks without an effective ground game.
That’s a brutal admission for a coach whose offense is built around running the ball.
And then there’s Davante Adams. With Brandon Aiyuk sidelined early in the season, the 49ers reportedly reached out.
But Adams told The Athletic the 49ers wouldn’t match the Rams’ offer. That one stings.
The 49ers’ receivers couldn’t get separation in either January matchup against Seattle, and Adams could’ve changed that.
A Beatable Champion
Let’s not pretend this Seahawks team was the 2013 version. They were good, but beatable.
The 49ers proved that back in Week 1 before the injury bug hit. And even in the playoffs, a healthier, more complete San Francisco roster could’ve given them a real fight.
Instead, the 49ers watched from the sideline as Seattle celebrated a title on their field. Not because of bad luck.
Not because of an unstoppable opponent. But because of a decision-one made at the ownership level-to stop spending when the window was still wide open.
Now, heading into 2026, the 49ers are in a tough spot. The Seahawks have a better roster, and the gap is growing. But unlike 2014, when the decline felt natural, this time it feels self-inflicted.
Jed York had a choice. He chose to pull back. And now he gets to watch his biggest rival hoist the Lombardi Trophy in his house.
That’s not just painful. That’s avoidable.