Niners Nation
Let the hate flow, 49ers fans. The predictions are still coming in for the 2025 NFL season, and the staff at NFL.com has made their picks for the NFC West Winner and NFC wild card teams.
And, try not to be shocked here: the 49ers are not picked to win the West. At least they have a wild card spot.
The group consists of 29 voters, so there’s plenty of room to use logic. As you know, that sometimes doesn’t happen when either Brock Purdy or the San Francisco 49ers, by extension, are discussed objectively.
So, for NFL.com, they have voted the Los Angeles Rams as the NFC West champion. The Rams received 15 votes, while the 49ers received 10. And one person voted for the Cardinals. Whatever.
Predicted to be one of the most competitive divisions this season, the NFC West was one of just two (joining the NFC North) in which all four teams received at least one first-place vote. Although our analysts ultimately sided with the Rams over the Niners, San Francisco appeared on 17 of 29 ballots, which ranks sixth-most among NFC teams. Look out for whichever team emerges from the West, though, as the division is currently tied (with the AFC West) for the longest active streak of consecutive seasons with at least one team winning a playoff game (7).
I’ve already given my long rant about how the Sean McVay—and the Rams by extension all of a sudden have been infinitely better than the 49ers by default (despite Kyle Shanahan being 10-4, with a win notched by Nick Mullens of all people), so I’m not going to dig it up here. That said, against my homerism, I can’t really fault them for picking the Rams.
I don’t understand the 49ers being tied with the Bears for a wild-card spot. With their schedule, they shouldn’t have issues grabbing one. Sure, it’s only “on paper,” but on paper I don’t see how the Bears are tied with the 49ers. Not when you’re in the NFC North, anyway.
To be fair, the wild card voting doesn’t take into account who wins their respective divisions. So teams predicted to win their division (like the Rams) are also in the wild card voting. And yes, the Rams have more votes for a wild card than the 49ers.
While the voting confuses me, it is what it is. Another league site has the 49ers not winning the West. I’ve said to temper expectations as this team gets younger — and that’s probably for the best. But enough talk. Week 1 can’t get here soon enough.
