The NFC West is expected to be a competitive division in 2025. Orr predicts the Los Angeles Rams will finish 10-7, while the Seattle Seahawks take third place at 9-8. While the 49ers finished in last place within the NFC West standings last season, this time, Orr projects the Arizona Cardinals to finish at the bottom with a 6-11 record.
"With the Rams in a bit of an unknown space, I look to Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy and a—possibly—healthy Christian McCaffrey for a bit of stability," Orr explained. "With this schedule, I didn't get overly cute, save for losses to Chicago at home and at Indianapolis toward the end of the season.
"The 49ers of 2023, if you'll remember, had a three-game losing streak against middle-tier opponents that was similarly eye-popping at the time but was merely a sign of exhaustion."
Here's a game-by-game breakdown of how Orr predicts the 49ers will perform in 2025. He has San Francisco opening the season with a road loss to the Seahawks, followed by three consecutive victories.
| Week | Opponent | Prediction |
| 1 | at Seahawks | Loss |
| 2 | at Saints | Win |
| 3 | Cardinals | Win |
| 4 | Jaguars | Win |
| 5 | at Rams | Loss |
| 6 | at Buccaneers | Loss |
| 7 | Falcons | Win |
| 8 | at Texans | Win |
| 9 | at Giants | Win |
| 10 | Rams | Win |
| 11 | at Cardinals | Loss |
| 12 | Panthers | Win |
| 13 | at Browns | Win |
| Bye | ||
| 15 | Titans | Win |
| 16 | at Colts | Loss |
| 17 | Bears | Loss |
| 18 | Seahawks | Win |
Orr projects the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to earn home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, with the 49ers claiming the No. 2 seed. Division winners also include the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions, while the Rams, Minnesota Vikings, and Washington Commanders earn Wild Card spots.
H/t to Luke Norris of Niner Noise for the find.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers underperform in latest 2026 season prediction
While the San Francisco 49ers enter the 2026 season with Super Bowl aspirations, they'll have to navigate one of the NFL's toughest divisions. The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl LXI favorite Los Angeles Rams stand in the way of an NFC West... -
49ers TE George Kittle to make acting debut in Dinosaurs of the Wild West series
Is San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle preparing for a career beyond football? Maybe not just yet. The All-Pro tight end remains focused on his recovery from the torn Achilles he suffered during last season's playoffs and his goal of returning for Week 1. However,... -
49ers CB Upton Stout embracing training camp challenge ahead of 2026 season
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Upton Stout appears poised to lock down the nickel role heading into the 2026 season. The second-year defensive back says this training camp has been a valuable opportunity to build on his rookie campaign by competing against an upgraded group of... -
49ers insider: It's reasonable to expect Ricky Pearsall to miss the 2026 season
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has already missed 14 games through his first two NFL seasons, and now his entire 2026 campaign could be in jeopardy. Pearsall battled a PCL injury during the 2025 season, but the expectation—or hope—was that the issue would...