Niners Nation
Five 49ers to watch in Week 1 showdown vs. Seahawks as 2025 NFL season kicks off
“Lenoir will not face the interesting challenges of past 49ers-Seahawks games before DK Metcalf is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But this is not an easy assignment for him and fellow starter Renardo Green.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will try to get the ball into the hands of former Los Angeles Rams standout Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had 100 receptions for 1,130 yards last season.“
49ers vs. Seahawks: The Standard’s 5 fast predictions (paywall)
“Kawakami: 49ers 20, Seahawks 17. Brock Purdy probably can’t win this himself — the 49ers’ young defense will have to hold up against the Seattle running game and the special teams can’t mess up. This will be tense until the end. But Purdy is 3-0 at Lumen Field in his career and has shown that he can avoid the kinds of mistakes that have haunted previous 49ers QBs — and all QBs, really — in Seattle.
Lombardi: Seahawks 27, 49ers 24. The 49ers should see an inordinate amount of in-season growth in 2025. The defense that takes the field in Seattle on Sunday will not be the same defense that rounds into December form. Perhaps it’s fitting that the regular season starts and ends with games against the Seattle: The Seahawks will visit Levi’s Stadium in Week 18. I think the 49ers will win that game, but they’re still a little too green on the defensive side to grab this one.“
Kawakami: My 49ers 2025 season prediction — 11-6 and taking back the NFC West (paywall)
“But after watching Kittle, Warner, Purdy, and Bosa in particular look absolutely fantastic in practices, sensing the calming effect of Robert Saleh’s return as defensive coordinator, and taking note of the new crop of players, you understand that this is still one of the most talented, best-coached teams in the NFC.
That guarantees nothing, of course. They were even more talented last season, and first came the cracks in the foundation, then came the collapse.
In last year’s edition of this (for another publication), I said 2024 was the beginning of the 49ers’ “last chance” era — plenty competitive if their top stars remained healthy, but thin enough and old enough to provide challenges if everything didn’t go right.
Well, obviously, almost nothing went right. I predicted an 11-6 record, and that was actually flipped by the 49ers when all was said and lost. Oops all around.
They’ve still got as many top-line stars as almost any team in the league, though. Until and unless those guys all decline or get hurt at once, 2024 should be the aberration, not the rule. This successful era isn’t at its peak, but it shouldn’t be over. And if young players like Mykel Williams, Dee Winters, Ricky Pearsall, and Renardo Green turn into stars, a new era might start even before the old one is fully gone.“
**[ Revamped 49ers defense faces first...
