While the Los Angeles Rams are viewed by many as the favorites to win Super Bowl LXI, Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr believes several talented teams have a legitimate chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium in February 2027—including the San Francisco 49ers.
The path won't be easy for Kyle Shanahan's team, which competes in what many consider the NFL's toughest division. Along with battling the Rams, the 49ers must also contend with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams' blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett has strengthened their position as the team to beat. Meanwhile, the 49ers have their own concerns along the defensive line, leading to offseason speculation linking San Francisco with several veteran pass rushers, including Joey Bosa.
Orr believes the significant defensive line talent gap between the 49ers and Rams could eventually push general manager John Lynch to trade for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
However, San Francisco believes it made significant improvements on the offensive side of the ball this offseason, highlighted by the addition of veteran wide receiver Mike Evans.
Evans will turn 33 during the season, and the 49ers also have several key veterans approaching the later stages of their careers, including tight end George Kittle, left tackle Trent Williams, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Shanahan needs to take advantage of the short window of opportunity with that core still intact.
"As I've mentioned before, I think signing Evans was meant to rectify the situation with Christian McCaffrey running into so many heavy boxes and finding no room," Orr wrote. "The 49ers were 30th in yards per rushing attempt last season, which was the first time since 2021 that a Shanahan-called offense was outside the top 10 in that critical stat."
Despite battling numerous injuries last season—including quarterback Brock Purdy's turf toe injury—the 49ers still managed to reach the playoffs. A healthier roster in 2026 could position San Francisco for a much deeper postseason run.
"The 49ers won 12 games despite playing eight with a backup quarterback in by far the toughest division in football," Orr wrote. "San Francisco logged wins over the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks, the Rams and the late-season Bears, and had Fred Warner for only six games.
"As has been the case before, I feel like people are sleeping on a team that could very easily play in a Super Bowl just down the coast."
More info on: Mike Evans, Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy, Fred Warner, Trent Williams
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