San Francisco 49ers start season with 6-1 record
Niners suffer first loss against Atlanta Falcons as injuries sideline key players
By ALEXIA NAVARRO GARCIA— sports@theaggie.org
The San Francisco 49ers are off to a strong start to the 2026 season, posting a 6-1 record and a 4-1 conference record to sit on top of the National Football Conference (NFC) West standings.
The 49ers kicked off their season in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10, going up against the Los Angeles Rams and winning 27-7 in the National Football League’s (NFL) first regular-season game in Australia. Quarterback Brock Purdy completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards and three touchdown passes. Wide receivers Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr. accounted for the receiving touchdowns. Kicker Eddy Piñeiro completed two out of three field goal attempts and all three point-after-touchdown attempts (PATs). The 49ers traveled home with the win over the Rams.
The Niners returned home to Levi’s Stadium on Sept. 20, winning 35-13 over the Miami Dolphins in a non-conference matchup. Purdy completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards, including two touchdown passes to tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Additionally, Purdy rushed 30 yards for a touchdown. Running back Christian McCaffery reached 100 career touchdowns, becoming the fourth active NFL player to reach the milestone.
On Sept. 27, the Niners hosted the Arizona Cardinals in a division match-up, winning 36-30. Purdy completed two touchdown passes to Kittle, and one each to Samuel Sr. and Evans, while going 15 for 27 on his passes for 297 yards. The offense also extended its streak of games without allowing a sack, making Purdy the only quarterback in the league who has not been sacked through the first three games of the season. The victory moved San Francisco into first place in the NFC West standings.
The 49ers finished their three-game home streak against the Denver Broncos, winning 24-14. The game marked head coach Kyle Shanahan’s 167th regular-season game with the franchise, surpassing former 49ers and three-time Super Bowl head coach Bill Walsh (1979-88) for most games coached with the organization. Purdy threw two touchdown passes, connecting with Kittle and Samuel Sr. McCaffery scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the season. Purdy extended his streak to five consecutive games without being sacked and four consecutive games without throwing an interception.
The 49ers traveled to Seattle on Oct. 11 to face the Super Bowl LX Champion Seahawks in a division rivalry game. San Francisco avenged its loss in the 2025 season’s divisional round by defeating Seattle 32-29. The Seahawks, who are the NFL’s No.1 defensive team, ended Purdy’s streak by sacking him three times and intercepting one of his passes. San Francisco’s defense responded by sacking quarterback Sam Darnold five times and intercepting two of his passes. The win over the Seahawks increased their lead in the NFC West standings and improved their record to 5-0, marking their first undefeated start through five games since the 2024 season, when the team appeared in Super Bowl LVIII and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Washington Commanders traveled to Levi’s Stadium for Monday Night Football, hoping to deliver the 49ers their first loss. Instead, Washington suffered a 23-17 loss. Key players included linebacker Fred Warner, who reached a milestone of 1,000 career tackles. Purdy reached 1,500 career pass attempts, qualifying him for the NFL’s all-time passer-rating leaderboard and giving him a career passer rating at 105.6, the highest in NFL history. Following the win, the 49ers improved their record to 6-0 for the first time since 2019, when the team reached Super Bowl LIV and lost to the Chiefs.
San Francisco’s undefeated run ended on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, who won their game 29-20. With wide receivers Evans and Samuel Sr. sidelined by injuries, the 49ers relied on their rushing attack early in the game. McCaffery extended his rushing touchdown streak to six games before briefly leaving the game with a hamstring injury. Running back Kaelon Black recorded his first NFL touchdown on a 30-yard run, while Kittle and Juszczyk also scored for San Francisco. Atlanta’s defense prevailed, forcing three fumbles, intercepted Purdy twice and recorded a sack. The Falcons upset the 49ers, handing them their first loss of the season.
Despite the loss, San Francisco remains on top of the NFC West leaderboard with a 6-1 record. The 49ers are currently the favorites to make a Super Bowl appearance. Purdy has also emerged as an MVP contender, although he fell behind Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the race after the loss to Atlanta. Purdy, selected No. 262 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, earned the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant.” He is on pace to lead the team into another playoff berth and has recorded 1,748 passing yards, 15 touchdown passes and a 79.6 quarterback rating.
The 49er wide receiver room has taken a beating, with Ricky Pearsall being ruled out for the season with a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear and swelling in his right knee before the season started. Demarcus Robinson has not played since Week 2, dealing with a right high ankle sprain. Samuel Sr. has been out since Week 6 with a hamstring injury and Evans did not play in the game against the Falcons and is dealing with right Achilles tendinitis and a rib injury. Robinson, Samuel Sr. and Evans are all targeting a Week 9 return.
The defensive line injuries include defensive lineman Nick Bosa, who is working through a left calf strain and has not played since Week 2 against the Dolphins. Bosa is eyeing a possible Week 9 return. Defensive tackle Alfred Collins suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee before the week one game against the Rams and will miss the whole season. Defensive tackle C.J. West, who replaced Collins in the lineup, was placed on the injury reserve list Sept. 23 due to a bone chip in his knee.
During their bye week, the 49ers reacquired their 2016 first round draft pick and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick. Buckner is expected to add depth and relief to the defensive line.
The 49ers will return from their bye week on Nov. 8 to face the Las Vegas Raiders at Levi’s Stadium at 1:25 p.m.
Written by: Alexia Navarro Garcia — sports@theaggie.org