Why the San Francisco 49ers can be contenders in 2026
By Andy Davies
The San Francisco 49ers go into the 2026 season off the back of an exit in the Divisional Round, keen to get revenge on their division rivals.
Not only did the Seattle Seahawks knock out the 49ers in the Divisional Round, they also went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in the 49ers’ stadium. For a Niners team that has lost the Super Bowl in two of the past seven seasons, that one is bound to have hurt.
Kicking off their season in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers have the instant opportunity to grab an advantage on their divisional rivals.
Here is how the 49ers can once again be contenders in 2026.
Staying healthy
In the 2025 season, the 49ers made it all the way to a position where they were just two wins from a Super Bowl. This is despite being one of the most injury hit teams in the league.
The 49ers players missed an average of 13.37 games and in total, combined for a total of 254 games missed in 2025, an amount only bettered by the the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.
Star players such as Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Brock Purdy and George Kittle missed time through injury. Christian McCaffrey, who has had injury problems in the past, ironically managed to stay healthy. He ended the season as a Most Valuable Player (MVP) nominee, with 2,126 total yards and 17 total touchdowns and becoming the eighth player in NFL history to record at least three 2,000-scrimmage-yard seasons
Considering how far the team went last season with these injuries then provided that McCaffrey and all the above players remain healthy, there is every chance that this team can once again be contenders and playing in the NFC Championship game.
With the offseason addition of Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, who may relish from being the second receiving option behind McCaffrey, this 49ers team have a real chance to make a run in the 2026 season, provided all the key players healthy.
The coaching prowess of Kyle Shanahan
The way that the 49ers were able to get to the Divisional Round despite injuries is partially down to one person, Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan has had his critics during his coaching career, mainly his “choker” tag that gets placed on his head. He was offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons when they were 28-3 up in Super Bowl LI. He was also head coach for both of the 49ers’ recent Super Bowl losses, where they had a 10+ point lead in both these contests.
However, one thing you cannot deny is his record in the regular season. In nine campaigns, he has 82-67 and five winning seasons, with 10+ win campaigns in five of his last seven in the role.
To further his credentials, he has achieved this success without an elite quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo was the starter for their first Super Bowl losses, but his overthrow in the game is still talked about to this day.
Brock Purdy has been a great quarterback for Shanahan’s system, but even he will admit he is not in the same category as the likes of Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
It is safe to say that if any of those four quarterbacks were under center for either of those Super Bowl losses to the Kansas City Chiefs, Shanahan may have a Super Bowl ring on his list of achievements.
But maybe this is a testament to Shanahan, that his system doesn’t need an elite quarterback to be successful, that it is all about the team.
They are in a tough division, which may go against them, but Shanahan has been able to put up with the best of them during his time as 49ers head coach.
With Shanahan as head coach, then the 49ers have a great chance to go far in next season’s playoffs and they should be a team that are fancied to have a great year.
ANDY DAVIES
NFL ANALYST
ANDY IS A SPORTS JOURNALISM GRADUATE WITH OVER SIX YEARS EXPERIENCE OF NFL WRITING AND PODCASTING. ANDY HAS BEEN TO EVERY NFL STADIUM AND IS THE HOST OF THE ACROSS THE POD PODCAST. HE HAS PRESS PASS EXPERIENCE AT THE LONDON GAMES AND MANY OTHER NFL BASED EVENTS SUCH AS SUPER BOWL LIX AND LX, HAVING INTERVIEWED THE LIKES OF AARON RODGERS, JUSTIN JEFFERSON, JASON BELL, OSI UMENYIORA, PATRICK MAHOMES, TRAVIS KELCE, DERRICK HENRY, SAQUON BARKLEY AND JALEN HURTS