The battle for the NFC West crown in 2026 should be a competitive one, but some believe that competition could ultimately lead to trouble for the San Francisco 49ers.
Bleacher Report's Moe Moton recently released his record predictions for the 2026 NFL season, and he has the 49ers finishing third in the NFC West for the second consecutive season. Much of that projection stems from San Francisco sharing the division with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, who are the favorites to win Super Bowl LXI.
Moton predicts the Rams will finish atop the NFC West with a 13-4 record, followed by the Seahawks at 11-6.
As for the 49ers, Moton has San Francisco finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs altogether. That would be a disappointing outcome for a team with Super Bowl aspirations and a roster it believes is capable of competing with the division's two other heavyweights.
Of course, injury concerns factor heavily into Moton's prediction.
"The 49ers haven't played a preseason game, and they have a rash of injuries at wide receiver," Moton wrote. "According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Mike Evans has a 'minor' quad strain. Christian Kirk is dealing with a calf strain. The team placed Ricky Pearsall on season-ending injured reserve. The 49ers may be relying heavily on Christian McCaffrey, which is a dicey proposition given the wear and tear on his body.
"Also, Nick Bosa is dealing with tendinitis in his surgically-repaired knee. This team's health will be the story of the season. The 49ers have enough talent to stay above .500, but they miss the playoffs."
Most of the 49ers' current injuries are not considered long-term concerns, with Pearsall's setback being the notable exception. Evans returned to practice on Tuesday, while head coach Kyle Shanahan did not sound overly concerned about Bosa's knee.
"Just soreness, tendinitis," Shanahan said on Tuesday. "It's a pretty normal thing with ACLs ... It's a normal thing, and that's why we've got to be smart here for week to week. But I'm feeling no concerns about him being any more than that."
The 49ers will get an early opportunity to show where they stand against one of their biggest NFC West rivals when they open the 2026 regular season against the Rams on September 10 in Melbourne, Australia. The result could provide an early indication of whether San Francisco is ready to challenge for the division title—or whether Moton's 9-8 prediction should be taken seriously.
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