#san-francisco-49ers

#san-francisco-49ers

The San Francisco 49ers moved to 2-0 after defeating the New Orleans Saints 26-21 on the road. New Orleans had a chance at taking the lead late, regaining possession with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter. However, while facing a fourth-and-1 on their own 42-yard-line, Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler was sacked, clinching the 49ers victory. Starting in place of Brock Purdy, San Francisco quarterback Mac Jones had 279 passing yards with three touchdowns.

After the team plummeted to last place in the NFC West last season amid injuries, tragedy and distractions, coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have put Humpty Dumpty back together again to the point where sports books have actually made the 49ers division favorites. That makes the 49ers at least a possibility to be at home on Feb. 8, when Levi's Stadium plays host to Super Bowl LX.

With how talented kickers have become in 2025, it's easy to get replaced. Hitting field goals from 50 yards or closer at a consistent rate is the new standard in the NFL. At the end of the 2024 season, the San Francisco 49ers had trouble with their field goal kicker, Jake Moody. These issues carried into the 2025 season, and the team was quick to correct them. On Tuesday, the 49ers waived Jake Moody after three seasons.

Fred Warner is in the eye of the 49ers' defensive hurricane. New teammates are swirling around him. He is not calm, however. He is All-Pro Fred, and that means he is hollering, hustling, and huddling up with intensity. He's still the one out there chirping and yelling and screaming and getting everybody pumped up, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. So, he hasn't changed in that regard. The game hasn't jaded him, if that makes sense.

Sundays are for football. But for more and more 49ers, the offseason is for taking hacks at a tiny, dimpled white ball. Of the Niners' 90-man offseason roster, more than 40 were trying to keep their front-nine scores under 40, so to speak. And that doesn't count golf hound Robert Saleh, who is back as the 49ers' defensive coordinator after four years away from the Bay Area tee boxes as the New York Jets' head coach.

SEATTLE Brock Purdy bought time in the pocket, rolled right, and threw up a Hail Mary-esque pass, even if it was only a 4-yard desperation lob. Jake Tonges, subbing for the injured George Kittle, somehow used all 6-foot-4 of his frame to pull down his first-ever touchdown. The 49ers had a four-point lead with 1 1/2 minutes remaining in their chaotic season opener. More chaos was coming. So was Nick Bosa.

We're just days away from the start of the NFL season, and the spirit of rivalry is in the air. With new rivalry uniforms in tow and just days from the first game and first NFC West matchup of the season, it had me thinking: How do the 49ers stack up with their division rivals? This might be the best division in football this season in 2025 you can easily convince me of any order, one through four, at the end of the season.

Such is life as a Niners receiver this summer when the only constant has been a steady stream of change. 'It's just definitely not normal,' Pearsall said. 'It is definitely different and we all know that, but that's OK. It's not always going to be the same. ... We can sit there and be like, 'OK, we're short of numbers and we can complain about it or we can put our heads down and go to work.'

After missing the playoffs last season, the 49ers underwent a massive roster overhaul, creating more competition than it has had for spots on the depth chart than at any point in the past six years. While the stars -- tight end George Kittle, offensive tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner -- remain, much of San Francisco's success this season will hinge on how some of the unfamiliar names come along.

SANTA CLARA True, the Lombardi Trophy will be handed out here at Levi's Stadium at season's end in Super Bowl LX. So what do the 49ers get for finishing out their preseason at home Saturday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, who led 13-6 at halftime? Well, the Niners have done enough this preseason to merit some accolades (for better, for worse), and we'll get to those in a few graphs, once you learn this about the preseason finale:

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders are trading running back Brian Robinson to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round pick, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Robinson did not play in Washington's preseason game Monday vs. Cincinnati, signaling the end of his relationship with the franchise. The Commanders had planned to release him if they could not find a trade partner. Washington had been shopping Robinson since earlier this month, in part because of the depth coaches say the team has at running back.