Since trading for Myles Garrett earlier this month, the Los Angeles Rams have been the talk of the NFL offseason. However, the Rams’ hated rival, the San Francisco 49ers, are being somewhat overlooked, which could potentially threaten L.A.’s Super Bowl hopes in 2026.
It’s easy to overlook the Whiners right now, as they were the third-best team in the NFC West last year, and their prospects are about the same ahead of this season — and that’s after a 12-win regular season. They’re playing in a division
with the defending champs and the Rams, another Super Bowl contender. So yeah, they’ve had a difficult time grabbing the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to go down quietly.
San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk echoed the sentiment and spun it as a positive during a recent interview on “The Insiders.” Juszczyk said that it’s easy to forget the team won 13 total games last year while also knocking off the reigning champion Eagles on Wild Card Weekend:
Let the record state that no one has entirely forgotten about the 49ers, especially those residing in the division.
This is the same team that has reached two Super Bowls and won the NFC West three times since 2019. Last season marked the first time that Kyle Shanahan’s squad failed to reach the NFC Championship under his watch. Yeah, that’s right, the Niners had won at least two playoff games per postseason with Shanahan at the helm prior to the 2025 campaign. That streak ended in a 41-6 loss to Seattle in the Divisional Round.
Absolutely no one has erased their overall success from memory; the Rams haven’t forgotten the torment SF has inflicted on them over the years.
While Los Angeles has won four of the last five matchups, they previously went 4-11 against their rival through September 2023. San Francisco has tormented Sean McVay and the Rams over the years, and that scarring doesn’t fade easily. Trust me, therapy for handling 49ers trauma is a tough thing to overcome.
It’s not a one-sided affair either, as the Seahawks have had recent success against the Niners despite enduring pain themselves. Seattle has won three of its last four against the team following a six-game losing streak in the series from September 2022 to October 2024.
Even if the 49ers feel cast aside by NFL analysts and fans, they’re still beloved in Vegas. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, San Francisco is tied with the Lions with the third-highest odds to win the NFC in 2026 (+850), behind only the Rams (+280) and Seahawks (+550). That goes to show they have enough believers and can fly under the radar to prey on their unsuspecting victims. God, screw this team to hell!
Recent success over the 49ers gives the Rams confidence that they can walk all over their bitter foe this season, but they must shake that mentality and quickly. Overlooking San Francisco is one of the most dangerous things any team can do, given they remain one of L.A.’s top conference threats if they can stay healthy in 2026.
