The San Francisco 49ers finished the 2025 season with a 12-5 record, placing third in a highly competitive NFC West. However, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report does not expect head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers to match that success in 2026.
Following the NFL's release of the full 272-game regular-season schedule, Moton predicted every team's final record for 2026. He has San Francisco finishing 9-8, marking a notable decline from last season.
Within the NFC West, Moton projects the Los Angeles Rams to capture the division title with a 13-4 record. The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are projected to finish 11-6, while the Arizona Cardinals are expected to go 3-14.
A major factor behind Moton's projection is concern over the availability of several key 49ers players. San Francisco battled significant injuries throughout the 2025 season, and Moton believes similar concerns could again impact the team's ceiling in 2026. Still, he acknowledged that, when at full strength, the 49ers can compete with any opponent.
"That said, [TE George] Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles entering his age-32 season. At 32 last year, Mike Evans missed nine games due to injuries," Moton wrote. "Late in the previous campaign, [LT Trent] Williams strained his hamstring, which cost him time. [RB Christian] McCaffrey bounced back from an injury-riddled 2024 term, but he has a lot of wear-and-tear on his body entering a 10th year in the pros.
"You can also toss in [QB Brock] Purdy's injury history as a legitimate concern. As a smaller-than-average quarterback, he's been banged up. The 6'1", 220-pound signal-caller missed eight games last year."
While Kittle remains optimistic about being ready for Week 1, Moton pointed to what he views as an aging supporting cast surrounding Purdy. Defensively, he added that new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will need both Nick Bosa and Fred Warner at full strength for the unit to return to elite form in 2026.
"In recent years, the 49ers have seemed to be a few injuries away from disaster," Moton wrote. "They're healthy enough to get the benefit of the doubt right now. Yet we should factor in the shaky availability of older veterans on the roster when projecting the team's win-loss record on a travel meter of over 38,000 miles in the upcoming season."
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