After five weeks of NFL action, the San Francisco 49ers remain undefeated at 5-0. Their latest victory came against a longtime NFC West rival, the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers delivered another gritty performance, edging Seattle 32-29, handing the Seahawks their second loss of the season and extending San Francisco's winning streak to five games.


With their lead in the NFC West growing, the 49ers have returned home to prepare for their next matchup against the Washington Commanders at Levi's Stadium on Monday, October 19.

How does the national media view the 49ers compared to the rest of the NFL? Below is a roundup of the latest NFL power rankings, highlighting where San Francisco currently stands across various outlets. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.

The Athletic
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"No team has a better resume than the 49ers, who overcame a rare so-so game from Brock Purdy in Seattle. This time, it was San Francisco's defense that led the way, limiting the Seahawks to just 4.2 yards per play. Oh, and Mike Evans and George Kittle certainly do not look like they are 33 years old." — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff

The Big Lead
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"The Niners are the second team to be 5-0 and are atop this list. This was by far their most impressive win of the season, defeating the Seahawks in Seattle. They should have an easier time of it this week at home against the Commanders." — Cam Giangrande

Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"The San Francisco 49ers won't move in our power rankings. They were No. 1 last week, and then went on the road to knock off the reigning Super Bowl champions. This past offseason, the 49ers signed Mike Evans, who hasn't aged past his prime. The Seattle Seahawks pass defense gave up the fewest yards entering Week 5, yet it couldn't stop the 33-year-old, who caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Deebo Samuel Sr. suffered a hamstring injury in the second half. So, the 49ers may need to bring in reinforcements at receiver. Despite the cluster of injuries at that position, they're the best team in the NFL." — Moe Moton


CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"They showed in Seattle they can win a game even when the offense isn't rolling up big numbers. That's a good sign going forward since the defense has a lot of young players." — Pete Prisco

ESPN
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"Biggest issue on defense: Third-down efficiency. Under new coordinator Raheem Morris, the Niners rank fifth in yards per play allowed (4.7) and have limited big plays as well as any team in the league. But they have struggled to get off the field consistently. The Niners rank 20th in third-down defense, giving up a first down on 40.8% of their opportunities. As a result, their defense has been on the field for 31 minutes, 12 seconds per game, which ranks 23rd in the NFL." — Nick Wagoner

FOX Sports
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"The 49ers barely hung on against the Seahawks and needed an unlikely drop by Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba to seal it, but don't get bogged down by the details: They're still undefeated and they've now beaten the defending champs, the Broncos and the Rams. They're doing it with a stingy defense and an offense that's hard to stop. They have it all, at least more than any other team in the NFL can say. And if you're waiting for them to fall, don't expect it to happen until they face the Seahawks again right after Thanksgiving. If they can hold their battered roster together, they could be 10-0 by then." — Ralph Vacchiano

NFL.com
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"There's something special cooking within San Francisco's defense, a unit that has every excuse to be average, at best, but continues to exceed expectations. While the final score (32-29) doesn't suggest it, Sunday's win in Seattle was a defense-driven victory -- and a big one for the team's confidence as a true Super Bowl contender." — Nick Shook

Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"Plenty of other teams wish they'd made a run at signing Mike Evans." — Mike Florio


The Score
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 2
"San Francisco earned the top spot on our rankings after outlasting the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks on Sunday. Three of their five wins have come against conference finalists from last season, and the 49ers are 3-0 in the tough NFC West despite missing several key players due to injury." — Staff

Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 5
"The 49ers lead the league in wins…and players who are on injured reserve. I heard a theory on Monday while making calls that stuck with me: the teams that are at the biggest advantage in the NFL are the ones with continuity at head coach, playcaller and quarterback over a multi-year period, especially during a season in which 10 head coaching jobs shifted this offseason. The steadiness of the Shanahan-Purdy partnership is shining." — Conor Orr

USA Today
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"They're seeking their second 6-0 start (2019) under Kyle Shanahan and certainly hope this 5-0 beginning tracks closely to the other two under the HC, who's seeking his third Super Bowl trip and first Lombardi Trophy. Perhaps the most impressive traits already displayed by these Niners is the ability to − again − overcome their injuries while also sweeping up during their first pass through the brutal NFC West. And they've already beaten three teams that had at least 12 regular-season victories in 2025. But, hey, QB Brock Purdy was sacked for the first time this season on Sunday − bagged three times and hit nine by Seattle − so better not get him hurt, too." — Nate Davis

Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"A win at Seattle leaves no doubt who is the No. 1 team after five weeks. The 49ers have played very well. Their offense being hyper-efficient should have been expected. Their defense, even with Nick Bosa playing just two games and having no sacks, has been the big surprise. The 49ers are fourth in defensive DVOA, fourth in EPA allowed per play, ninth in success rate allowed, third in points allowed and sixth in yardage allowed. The key has been the linebacker play of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, though Greenlaw was ejected and suspended one game for head-butting helmet-less Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV on Sunday. The 49ers lost defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in the offseason and that could have been a big blow after Saleh did a tremendous job last season. But new coordinator Raheem Morris is also doing an excellent job." — Frank Schwab

Sporting News
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 2
"The 49ers' latest win continues to cement Brock Purdy's MVP candidacy. Incredibly, Purdy is now 5-0 in regular-season starts in Seattle and 1-1 in the playoffs, with the one loss coming in the 2025 divisional round. He is on the verge of having enough career passing attempts to be the all-time career passer rating leader." — Vinnie Iyer

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