The San Francisco 49ers and Seahawks split their two regular-season meetings in 2024, but the last matchup is remembered for Geno Smith’s “night night” pose after his game-winning touchdown run. The loss effectively ended the 49ers’ season, but both teams would miss the playoffs in 2024. Now, the two franchises square off in Seattle to kick off the 2025 season. Let’s look at what has changed for both teams since their November 17th matchup.
Familiar Faces in Seattle
Seattle drastically changed their
offense this offseason. Out are D.K. Metcalf, Geno Smith, and long-time Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett. Sam Darnold and Klint Kubiak are in. Kubiak and Darnold were together in Santa Clara in 2023, as Kubiak took over as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator. After a season as the New Orleans Saints’ Offensive Coordinator and as the starting quarterback for Minnesota, Darnold and Kubiak reunite in Seattle.
You can expect plenty of pre-snap motion from Kubiak, and Darnold has little to no learning curve in this offense. The chess match between Kubiak and Robert Saleh promises to be as fascinating as the Shanahan/MacDonald matchup on Sunday. Saleh will be tasked with slowing down Kubiak’s plan of deploying Kenneth Walker III in Christian McCaffrey’s role for his offense. Kubiak plans to utilize a fullback in his offense, also, sound familiar?
Eric Saubert is another former 49er in Seattle, and Cooper Kupp is another familiar face for the 49ers defense.
The Youth Movement
It’s no secret. The 49ers are in the middle of a big youth movement. GM John Lynch lamented a plan of “younger and cheaper,” and the team executed it. 2025 will be about the 49ers’ high-end talent lifting the inexperience of the roster while the rookies develop. Upton Stout, Marques Sigle, C.J. West, and Mykel Williams all could be starting their first NFL game on Sunday.
But what about Seattle? Grey Zabel and Tory Horton are listed as starters, with Nick Emmanwori potentially seeing his first NFL action. Elijah Arroyo will be moved around as a chess piece mismatch as a receiver, and Jalen Milroe may have a package of plays set to utilize his unique skillset. Both teams are expecting big contributions from their 2025 rookie class.
The 49ers Offensive Plan
Jauan Jennings’ return to practice on Monday is a huge plus for the 49ers, although his snap share may be limited. Jennings caught ten passes in the last matchup with Seattle. McCaffrey led the 49ers as a rusher and will need to shoulder the responsibility again on Sunday. Suddenly, the 49ers are healthy heading into Week 1.
The biggest change for the 49ers is the emergence of the former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall failed to record a reception against Seattle in November, but broke out towards the end of 2024, and will be heavily leaned on to help the 49ers’ passing offense. With Deebo Samuel gone to Washington, the 49ers’ offense will feature fewer gadget-like plays.
While many things have changed between the two rivals, much has stayed the same. The NFL schedule has set the two meetings between Seattle and San Francisco as wrap-around matchups in Weeks 1 and 18. Getting off to a fast start in the division is the key to a playoff berth, and you can expect Lumen Field to be as loud as ever on Sunday.
