The latest AP head coach rankings only reinforced what the 49ers are up against in the NFC West.
Kyle Shanahan checked in at No. 4, which is a strong showing on its own. But the two coaches sitting ahead of him were familiar names for San Francisco fans: Sean McVay and Mike Macdonald.
That matters because both the Rams and Seahawks already entered the conversation with clear advantages over the 49ers, and this only adds another layer. McVay and Shanahan have been in their jobs since 2017, but McVay has the Super Bowl ring to show for it. He also just guided the Rams to a second-place finish in the division and an NFC Championship appearance.
Macdonald’s résumé is shorter, but it’s already piling up fast. He’s heading into just his third season as a head coach, yet he has 24 wins and a Super Bowl ring.
For San Francisco, the bigger picture is getting harder to ignore. The Rams and Seahawks have been viewed as the better teams coming off stronger seasons and are projected to finish ahead of the 49ers again in 2026. The head coaching rankings just give that perception more weight.
And the margin keeps shrinking in other places, too. The source of the 49ers’ edge over their division rivals is getting tougher to find, with both Los Angeles and Seattle matching up well across the roster.
Outside of George Kittle, the two divisional teams can match up against San Francisco at just about every position. Even Kittle is turning 33 this season, and he’s coming off a torn Achilles tendon.
So the 49ers may be staring at a year in which they’re forced into the underdog role. That doesn’t mean they’re short on talent. It just means the path through the NFC West looks steeper than ever, even if San Francisco still has enough firepower to beat anybody on a good day.
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49ers Are About To Get A Brutal Answer On Brock Purdy
The 49ers have spent the offseason making a clear statement about where they believe their future sits, shifting the roster and payroll toward Brock Purdy and the offense after years of leaning on defense as the foundation. San Francisco has added veteran help at receiver and elsewhere to give Purdy more support, while the front office has accepted a different kind of risk by letting the other side of the ball get younger and less proven under new coordinator Raheem Morris.
Now comes the hard part: the schedule will show quickly whether that gamble was smart or simply bold. Early matchups against top-tier opponents will put Purdy, the revamped passing game and an inexperienced defense under immediate pressure, and the results should tell a lot about whether this version of the 49ers is built to contend or just built to score. [Read more 🡒]
One Young 49ers Linebacker Is Suddenly A Trade Name To Watch
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Still, Martin has enough pedigree that he is not just another camp body, especially with Robert Salehs past interest in him lingering in the background. If Martin flashes in camp or the preseason, the conversation could shift quickly, and a joint practice later this summer would give teams a natural setting to at least explore whether there is a fit worth discussing. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Fans Wont Love What One Scout Thinks About Mike Evans
Mike Evans arrives in San Francisco with a rsum that still commands respect, but his most recent season was a reminder that even proven veterans can hit an unfamiliar dip. He played in only eight games and finished with 30 catches, 368 receiving yards and three touchdowns, a rare step back for a receiver who had built his reputation on steady production and big-play reliability.
For the 49ers, the appeal is obvious: if Evans can rediscover his usual level, he gives Kyle Shanahan another dependable target and Brock Purdy another seasoned option in an offense that likes to spread the ball around. The question now is whether the new setting can help him rebound from a year in which he fell short of the benchmarks that had defined the rest of his career. [Read more 🡒]