The San Francisco 49ers extended their winning streak to four games with a 37-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The win improved San Francisco's record to 10-4, though the team still trails the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks—both 11-3—in the tightly contested NFC West standings.
The 49ers will look to carry that momentum into Week 16 when they hit the road for a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. San Francisco is set to face veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, who recently came out of retirement to replace Daniel Jones after the Colts' starter suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
San Francisco hopes to finish out the regular season on a strong note, clinch a playoff berth, and build momentum heading into the postseason.
How does the national media view the 49ers compared to the rest of the league? Below is a roundup of the latest NFL power rankings, highlighting where San Francisco currently stands in each. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 6
Previous Ranking: 7
"MVP: Christian McCaffrey. The ninth-year running back leads the league in touches per game this year (24.64) and in the last three years combined (22.03). He's third this season in scrimmage yards (1,742) — behind Bijan Robinson (1,858) and Jonathan Taylor (1,761) — after another 87 Sunday in the Niners' fourth straight win." — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 6
Previous Ranking: 7
"The 49ers got Brock Purdy at home against the Titans and after a bye, and he looks more comfortable with all of his weapons at better overall health. San Francisco isn't going away as a Super Bowl contender." — Vinnie Iyer
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 7
Previous Ranking: 8
"This team has 10 victories, which is amazing considering all the injuries. They will be a playoff team." — Pete Prisco
ESPN
Current Ranking: 7
Previous Ranking: 7
"Extension candidate: Kicker Eddy Piñeiro. After extending the contract of right tackle Colton McKivitz in September, the most obvious options are on special teams. Returner Skyy Moore is a strong candidate, but Piñeiro has stabilized a position that has been a question for the past few seasons. Through 14 games, he hasn't missed any of his 25 field goal attempts, including six tries from 50-plus yards. Coach Kyle Shanahan doesn't like having to worry about his kicker, and getting Piñeiro signed beyond 2025 would likely allow the franchise to rest easy at the position." — Nick Wagoner
FOX Sports
Current Ranking: 7
Previous Ranking: 8
"Kyle Shanahan's offense is clicking. Still, it's hard to ignore Robert Saleh's defense giving up two fourth-quarter touchdowns to the hapless Titans." — Ralph Vacchiano
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 8
Previous Ranking: 8
"On Kyle Shanahan's 46th birthday, Brock Purdy gifted his coach a pretty terrific performance, even with a lost fumble that the Titans swiftly converted into a touchdown. Ricky Pearsall reemerged with a big game, which was a positive development with the playoffs looming, while George Kittle and Jauan Jennings both stepped up with good outings, as well. It's concerning that the defense couldn't sack the Titans -- one of the worst pass-protecting teams in the league -- and dropped a few potential interceptions that helped make the game appear closer than it was for most of Sunday. The defensive concerns are the biggest ones for a Niners team that inched closer to the postseason. There's still a slim path to taking the NFC West -- and even the top seed in the conference -- but the defensive limitations could prevent that from happening." — Eric Edholm
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 9
Previous Ranking: 10
"Don't be surprised if they go deep into the playoffs." — Mike Florio
USA Today
Current Ranking: 9
Previous Ranking: 10
"For all the (belated) focus on the Rams and Seahawks, it's easy to forget that the lurking Niners could yet slip past both and wind up as the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed." — Nate Davis
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 10
Previous Ranking: 9
"Brock Purdy pulled a pretty cool move in the heat of the moment against Tennessee. Like all of us reviewing footage of ourselves from a wedding, he's now experiencing the predictable second-day regrets." — Conor Orr
BROCK PURDY: "Honestly, I thought it was dumb — the whole ball fake at the end. I was like, 'Bro, what did I just do?'" 😂 pic.twitter.com/eOEWARMpUJ
— KNBR (@KNBR) December 15, 2025
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 11
"In a gradual rise in the power rankings, the San Francisco 49ers aren't generating much buzz while averaging 31 points on a four-game winning streak because they've beaten the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans in that stretch. None of these teams has a record above .500. The 49ers should garner a little more respect in the rankings with a road game against the Indianapolis Colts and a couple of contests at home, hosting the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, to finish the season." — Moe Moton
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 10
"It's hard to tell how good the 49ers are. The last time they beat a team that currently has a record over .500 was when they knocked off the Rams back in Week 5. The only other victory over a winning team was against Seattle in the opener. But it's difficult to get to 10-4 regardless of the strength of schedule, and the 49ers deserve credit for fighting through injuries. We'll learn more: The 49ers don't have another remaining game against anyone under .500 (they finish the season at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks), including any potential playoff foe." — Frank Schwab
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 14
"Head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense may never return to the heights of 2023, but this might be the best coaching job of his career. He's maximized this unit without a star receiver or much talent on the offensive line. And when quarterback Brock Purdy stays clean in the pocket, Shanahan's offense looks just as easy as it always has. But as they get closer to clinching a playoff spot, questions remain. Running back Christian McCaffrey is already dealing with some wear and tear, and this offense will crater if he or tight end George Kittle succumbs to their oversized workload." — Diante Lee