SANTA CLARA — The NFL’s top sack team the past two seasons is coming to town.And that means the 49ers’ pass protection will face a huge challenge after holding the opposition to no sacks in the first three games of the 2026 NFL season.
The job gets a whole lot more difficult on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, who led the NFL with 68 sacks last season after registering a league-leading 63 sacks in 2024.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are just the fourth team since 1990 to not allow a sack through three games, and the first to accomplish the feat since Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in 2005.
So, it could be that the 49ers’ five most important players on Sunday against the Denver Broncos are their five offensive linemen: Trent Williams, Connor Colby, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni and Colton McKivitz.
Instead, we’re going with these five as the 49ers to watch in Week 4 at Levi’s Stadium:WR Brandin CooksThe 49ers’ wide receiver room took another hit in Week 3, when KhaDarel Hodge sustained a knee injury. He was released on Thursday with an injury settlement.
Hodge’s injury,...
More info on: Jake Brendel, Connor Colby, Colton McKivitz, Dominick Puni, Trent Williams