The 49ers Are Being Overlooked; Examining Their Place Among NFC Contenders

The San Francisco 49ers are quietly emerging as a contender in the NFC.

After surviving a rough midseason slate that saw the team go a middling 3-4 between Weeks 4-10, the 49ers are back on track and moved to 8-4 following a double-digit victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football.

The win, San Francisco's second straight, has put the squad in the thick of the postseason hunt. The 49ers would only be the NFC's No. 7 seed if the playoffs began today, but don't expect them to remain at the bottom of the playoff bracket for long.

The team weathered a litany of injuries—including missing starting quarterback Brock Purdy for nearly two months—while grinding through the toughest portion of its schedule and is now in prime position to go on a run.

The 49ers were facing an uphill battle to get back into contention following last year's disappointing 6-11 campaign. They parted ways with a number of veterans at the start of the 2025 offseason, an exodus that resulted in nearly half of their starters from Super Bowl LVIII moving on.

San Francisco has persevered, though, thanks to a talented head coach in Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, who constructed a deep roster that has managed to withstand critical injuries far better than last year's squad.

AP Photo/Darryl Webb

The 2025 Niners are thriving, led by Christian McCaffrey, the league's most dynamic running back and current leader in yards from scrimmage and touches. Their defense hasn't been as strong, but the unit has endured losing two of the best players at their respective positions in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner as well as any team could hope.

With San Francisco getting healthier and gelling at an opportune time, this team has snuck within striking distance of the NFC's front-runners.

With that in mind, let's look at the six teams currently ahead of the 49ers in the standings.

NFC Playoff Picture

Los Angeles Rams (9-2)

The Rams are currently sitting in the NFC driver's seat with an MVP candidate in Matthew Stafford and a proven head coach in Sean McVay leading the way.

L.A. split its regular-season series against San Francisco, however, and the Niners have a good shot at winning the divisional-record tiebreaker if both teams finish with the same record.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)

Philadelphia's title defense has been rocky at best. While the Eagles are still a near-lock to reach the playoffs, their Super Bowl chances are murky due to a significant regression on the offensive end.

The 49ers won't get a chance to test themselves against the defending champs during the regular season, but they could soon surpass them in the standings after the Eagles had a four-game winning streak snapped by a middling Dallas Cowboys team that rallied from a 21-point deficit.

Chicago Bears (8-3)

The Bears are having a resurgent campaign under new head coach Ben Johnson. After a shaky start, they have won four straight and eight of their last nine. Chicago has benefitted from some good fortune, with six of those victories coming by five points or fewer.

AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

It remains to be seen if the Bears are for real, as their toughest tests are still on the horizon. Chicago is on the cusp of a grueling stretch that includes matchups with the Eagles, Lions and Green Bay Packers (twice) in addition to the 49ers.

The Week 17 clash in San Francisco will be pivotal in shaping the NFC playoff picture.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5)

Tampa Bay appears likely to win its division for the fifth straight year. While the Bucs beat the Niners by a 30-19 margin in their head-to-head matchup earlier this season, things could look far different if they face off again in the playoffs.

The Niners were reeling from the loss of Warner to a gruesome ankle injury in the first quarter of that Week 6 contest. Mac Jones also tossed a costly interception on a potential game-tying drive. With Purdy (3-0 lifetime against the Bucs) in the lineup, San Francisco would have a great chance at earning revenge.

Seattle Seahawks (8-3)

The Seahawks' big bet on Sam Darnold is paying off. The team is off to a strong start, although two of its three losses have been to NFC West opponents—including a home defeat versus the Niners, who they'll face again in the season finale.

AP Photo/Ben VanHouten

With Seattle's only divisional wins so far coming against the dysfunctional Cardinals, it wouldn't be shocking to see this squad finish behind San Francisco in the standings.

Detroit Lions (7-4)

The Lions have been a top-tier contender for the last few years, but they have been struggling to find consistency in 2025. They narrowly escaped their Week 12 clash against the New York Giants with a victory and need to figure things out if they're going to make the first Super Bowl in franchise history.

The 49ers won't play this squad during the regular season, but they won their last playoff meeting after rallying from a 17-point halftime deficit to win the 2024 NFC Championship Game.

How the 49ers Can Climb the Standings

After stringing together wins for the first time since Weeks 2-3, San Francisco appears ready to leap up the standings and cement itself as a Super Bowl contender.  

The Niners are undefeated since Purdy returned in Week 11, including exploding for a season-high 41 points against the Arizona Cardinals in his first game back.

While the signal-caller displayed some rust when he threw interceptions on three consecutive drives against Carolina, Purdy ultimately did enough to allow San Francisco to run away with a 20-9 win.

AP Photo/Eakin Howard

Expect Purdy, an MVP candidate and Pro Bowler as recently as 2023, to improve significantly in the coming weeks. Things will only get easier if the reports that star wideout Brandon Aiyuk—out since Week 7 of last year with a torn ACL—will soon be cleared to return are true.

Regardless of Aiyuk's status, San Francisco has an ideal opportunity to continue tuning up with the lowly Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans representing its next two opponents. Thanks to that fortunate scheduling, the Niners are extremely likely to boast a 10-4 record heading into a crucial three-game stretch to finish out the regular season.

While all three of San Francisco's final opponents—the Indianapolis Colts, Bears and Seahawks—are playoff-bound teams, it has the talent and experience to win out.

Even if the 49ers drop a contest over the final month of play, they will still be well-positioned to claim their third NFC West crown in four years at best and one of the conference's top wild-card spots at worst.