The San Francisco 49ers are looking to rebound from last season's disappointing 6-11 finish. This offseason brought a significant roster shake-up, with several veteran contributors departing and the team leaning heavily on the development of its recent draft class.
Despite the turnover, San Francisco still boasts one of the NFL's strongest cores. The front office extended contracts for quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and linebacker Fred Warner, while star playmakers like Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa remain at the center of the 49ers' playoff hopes.
The 2025 season kicks off Sunday with a pivotal Week 1 divisional matchup against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
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.
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 5
Training Camp Ranking: 8
"The 49ers are dealing with their wide receiver injuries, but they are positioned to overcome that with Brock Purdy locked in with Christian McCaffrey, Ricky Pearsall and George Kittle. The key for Kyle Shanahan's offense getting to the Super Bowl again is Robert Saleh getting the defense back on track." — Vinnie Iyer
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 6
Training Camp Ranking: 15
"Before the 49ers lost another wave of players this preseason and training camp, I projected them as a Super Bowl team in 2025. I walked that back a bit in May when I replaced the 49ers with the Eagles—but kept the Bills. Still, I don't think San Francisco will wind up far from the postseason conversation. The Niners are too talented schematically and have such a hard floor with the capable and efficient Brock Purdy under center." — Conor Orr
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 9
Training Camp Ranking: 14
"Don't bury them just yet. They still have stars on the roster and that matters. Health wrecked their season in 2024. They will bounce back and win the NFC West." — Pete Prisco
USA Today
Current Ranking: 13
Training Camp Ranking: 11
"In the event you'd lost track, Russell Gage Jr., Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Robbie Chosen (the latter two on the practice squad) are now part of the Niners' expanded − by necessity − suite of wideout options. If that seems problematic … yep." — Nate Davis
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 13
Training Camp Ranking: 13
"The 49ers had awful injury luck last season and it's starting again with some absences among the skill positions. And the Jauan Jennings situation lingers; it's tough to trust what the team says about it after last season's Christian McCaffrey deception." — Frank Schwab
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 14
Training Camp Ranking: --
"Brock Purdy will get an immediate chance to earn his money." — Mike Florio
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 15
Training Camp Ranking: 15
"Christian McCaffrey had a quiet and seemingly healthy training camp, but who knows who Brock Purdy is going to be throwing to? Deebo Samuel is in Washington now. Jauan Jennings requested a trade and missed most of training camp due to a calf injury. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is starting the season on the PUP list, so he'll be out at least four games, and Demarcus Robinson was suspended for the first three games. Ricky Pearsall may end up being the biggest fantasy football surprise of the season." — Josh Kendall
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 15
Training Camp Ranking: 15
"As much goodwill and trust as the 49ers built up for years, last season did hurt their reputation. I really thought the Week 10 win in Tampa would springboard them back into the playoffs, but the whole operation just fell apart, with injuries a big part of it. I've felt all summer that San Francisco is due for a positive regression-to-the-mean season, especially with a favorable schedule. But the Niners aren't as talented or as deep as they were two years ago, and the receiver situation has me worried. Brandon Aiyuk starts the season on the PUP list, Demarcus Robinson is suspended three games and who knows what to expect from Jauan Jennings? It's a lot, and I've had my doubts along the way, but San Francisco holds steady on the ranks for now." — Eric Edholm
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 15
Training Camp Ranking: --
"This is another popular preseason choice to return to playoff form in 2025, but I'm still skeptical. What we saw from quarterback Brock Purdy last year was impressive given the absence of playmakers like Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey most of the year, but Kyle Shanahan's offense isn't designed to ask that much of its quarterback on a year-to-year basis. There's no guarantee that McCaffery will be what we saw in 2022 or 2023, and Aiyuk is starting the season on the injured reserve. It's entirely possible that we won't see this offense at full strength for many weeks this season, either. The schedule suggests that the 49ers will be able to rack up wins against bad teams, but the top-end defensive talent in San Francisco is just as light as the strength of schedule. I'm open to being proved wrong, but I'm not as certain as other prognosticators that this season will be all that enjoyable." — Diante Lee
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 16
Training Camp Ranking: 15
"Ranking the San Francisco 49ers heading into Week 1 is tricky. Their offseason defensive overhaul, which included the return of DC Robert Saleh, could pay huge dividends. If Christian McCaffrey is healthy, the offense should be, at worst, average. However, San Francisco's triage of a receiver room creates early-season concerns. Brock Purdy might not truly elevate the talent around him, but he's good enough to make the most of it. The question is whether McCaffrey, Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle and a collection of new additions are enough to get through three divisional games in the first five weeks. A slow start could be in order, but so could the sort of rebound the 49ers had after their injury-plagued 2020 campaign." — Kristopher Knox
ESPN
Current Ranking: 19
Training Camp Ranking: --
"As usual, Kyle Shanahan's offense figures to be very good, but injuries at wide receiver are already piling up -- the 49ers aren't sure if Jauan Jennings will be available for Week 1. The big red flag here is a defense that had many notable departures, leaving the 49ers with big concerns at defensive tackle, corner and safety. Edge rusher Nick Bosa and new coordinator Robert Saleh will have their work cut out for them." — Mike Clay
Comments