Four weeks into the season, the 49ers’ offensive line has already given San Francisco a pretty clear picture of where things stand. Some spots are steady, one veteran is still carrying real weight, and a few players are showing signs of growth that matter.
Trent Williams remains the headliner, even if he is not quite living in that old elite tier anymore. He missed some time in Week 3, but he did not miss any starts, and that matters for a group that needs him on the field. He has given up five pressures, but he is still a huge force in the 49ers’ run game.
The 49ers also need Williams to stay healthy, especially with Lowe having only played 30 snaps and taking one penalty.
At center, Brendel is showing the wear of age more often in the run game. San Francisco wants its center to get out in space, and he is missing his spot more frequently now. Even so, he remains dependable because he knows the offense, and both Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan trust him.
Colby has been one of the season’s more encouraging surprises. He has had his rough moments and can still be slow with his hands, but he looks calmer through four weeks than he did a year ago. His PFF grade has climbed from 52 as a rookie to 63 this season, and that kind of jump turns the conversation from whether he needs to be benched to whether he can hold down a starting job.
Puni is also trending the right way. His pass block efficiency rating sits at 98.4, which is his best mark yet after posting 97.3 last year and 96.9 the year before. After entering the league as a rookie in 2024 and dealing with injuries last season, he is now starting to put it all together.
McKivitz, meanwhile, is off to another strong start. He has benefited a bit from not facing the kind of heavy test Williams sees on the other side, so he has not been challenged all that often. Even so, this is shaping up to be another solid year for him, with his fourth season as a full-time starter tracking toward matching the breakout he had the year before.
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49ers Are Rolling But Two Early Warning Signs Still Stand Out
The 49ers have opened 4-0 under Kyle Shanahan even while juggling significant injuries on both sides of the ball, and Brock Purdy has helped steady everything on offense. He leads the NFL in QBR and has not been sacked through four games, which has given San Francisco a clean, efficient starting point every week and helped keep the wins coming despite the attrition around him.
Still, the defense has not looked as airtight as the record suggests, especially up front and against the run. Injuries have thinned the pass rush, and the early-down issues in the ground game have been hard to ignore, leaving the 49ers with a couple of problems that could matter more once the schedule tightens and opponents start leaning into them. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Protection Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against Seattle
Seattles defense is getting ready for a different kind of test in Week 5, with the Seahawks set to face the undefeated 49ers and Brock Purdy coming in without having taken a sack this season. For San Francisco, that protection has been a major part of the early success around its offense, and it sets up a familiar division matchup with an extra layer of urgency for the group up front.
Mike Macdonalds defense will try to be the first to break through, but the challenge is more than just finding the quarterback. Purdy has drawn attention for the way he operates the 49ers passing game, and Seattle knows it will need to disrupt both his timing and the rhythm of an offense that has stayed clean through the first month. How well the Seahawks can do that could go a long way toward shaping the tone of the game. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Have A Real Chance To Flip This Seahawks Matchup
The 49ers have spent the offseason reshaping the parts of the roster that can swing a divisional game, and the matchup with Seattle looks far different now than it did a year ago. San Franciscos receiver room has gained a bigger edge on paper, with the offense now built around more proven targets and a more balanced structure than the Seahawks are bringing into the game.
Seattles backfield situation only adds to the concern, because the room behind the starter has been thinned by injuries and departures. For a rivalry game that often comes down to who can stay on schedule and keep the quarterback comfortable, those missing pieces matter, and they help explain why San Francisco sees a real path to controlling the matchup if its own offense executes cleanly. [Read more 🡒]