The San Francisco 49ers are only one of three NFL teams that have started the season 4-0 in 2026, joining the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings. Thus far, their +58 point differential leads the NFL, and they also have two big wins on their resume: the Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos.
The 49ers have had some flaws, with injuries being the biggest issue. San Francisco is well short at wide receiver and defensive line, going deeper and deeper into their practice squad pool. But they’ve
been even better than advertised through four weeks, taking advantage of an early three-game home stand.
There were several teams that had impressive wins in Week 5. The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dallas Cowboys put up 34 points on the Houston Texans. The New England Patriots came from behind to beat the Buffalo Bills on the road. So did the Rams against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Remaining undefeated, where are the 49ers in this week’s power rankings?
ESPN: No. 1
“The 49ers have again been hit by a slew of injuries,” ESPN’s Nick Wagoner wrote. “On the defensive line, star defensive end Nick Bosa is out because of a calf issue. At receiver, they’ve lost Ricky Pearsall (knee) for the season and promising rookie De’Zhaun Stribling (ankle) for 10 weeks.
“And yet the Niners are one of three undefeated teams. Quarterback Brock Purdy has emerged as an early MVP candidate, as the offense has done most of the heavy lifting. But Sunday’s win showed the Niners can lean on their defense and special teams when they aren’t lighting up the scoreboard.”
The Chiefs, Seahawks, Bills, and Jaguars rounded out the top five.
USA Today: No. 1
“Given their largely tremendous start, would have put them in the top spot sooner if not for concern regarding their latest rash of injuries, FB Kyle Juszczyk the most recent star to go down,” USA Today’s Nate Davis wrote.
“However, the Niners are certainly safeguarding early MVP candidate Brock Purdy, becoming the first team since Peyton Manning’s 2005 Colts to permit zero sacks through four games. Beat Seattle on Sunday, and San Francisco will have already taken down three of last season’s final four teams. Unbeaten through four games for the third time under Kyle Shanahan, now the longest-tenured coach in franchise history, the 49ers leveraged those other two hot starts into Super Bowl berths.”
Here, the Chiefs, Seahawks, Broncos, and Rams closed off the top five.
CBS Sports: No. 1
“At 4-0, they are rolling, and beating good teams in the process. The defense came up big in the victory over the Broncos, which is a good sign,” CBS’s Pete Prisco wrote.
Behind them were the Chiefs, Vikings, Seahawks, and Jaguars.
Overall, most places had the 49ers initially at No. 2, bumping them to No. 1 after their win over the Broncos and Buffalo’s loss to New England.
San Francisco will get a big challenge, though, in Week 5, as they take on the Seattle Seahawks on the road. They’re currently three-point underdogs ahead of kickoff.
