After an off-season of questionable roster moves, strange draft picks, and hesitant contract negotiations, the NFL has awarded the San Francisco 49ers the weakest schedule in 2025.
General Manager John Lynch faced the inevitable last offseason, finally paying up for quarterback Brock Purdy’s lucrative 5-year/$265M contract extension. In turn, the team lost cornerstone pieces like Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave, and Leonard Floyd. On top of this, they opted for a trade with the Washington Commanders, shipping off wide receiver Deebo Samuel for a 2025 fifth-round pick.
In total, San Francisco moved on from 17 players, 6 of whom were starters in Super Bowl LVIII. And somehow, Vegas betting odds still favor the Niners to win the NFC West, in part, because of their 2025 schedule.
The 49ers’ Weak 2025 Schedule: What It Means for the Rams
Team Trajectory
For as long as head coaches Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan keep their jobs, their resumes will remain completely intertwined. Since taking the reins, Shanahan has boasted a regular season record of 70-62, with a total of 4 playoff appearances and 2 Super Bowl appearances, both losses to the Kansas City Chiefs. McVay, on the other hand, has a career regular season record of 80-52, earning 6 playoff appearances, 2 Super Bowl appearances, and that oh, so very sweet, 2021-’22 Super Bowl victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Each franchise has had its extremities to navigate throughout the last 8 seasons. For the Rams, the team capitalized on opportunity, trading the future for Canton-bound veterans in pursuit of the organization’s second Lombardi trophy. But after achieving such heights, G.M. Les Snead had to make a complete 180 on a season reeking of post-Lombardi hangover. Quickly, they rebounded into a formidable playoff team from drafted talents like Puka Nacua, Jared Verse, and Kobie Turner.
For the 49ers, it’s been a similar but varying story. After McVay’s first Super Bowl appearance in 2018, Shanahan led quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and a fierce defensive group to the gates of the promised land the following year. The 2018 Rams and 2019 49ers were similar in process, not necessarily personnel, but how each team’s greatest assets were grown in-house, albeit outsourcing a few key athletes.
You can make the same comparison for each organization’s next Super Bowl appearance. Where the Rams sought the labor of Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey, the Niners made a play for all-world running back Christian McCaffrey. Though again, San Francisco remained just a step behind, failing to secure Shanahan and company’s first championship.
Prediction for the 2025 Season
It is a bit shocking to see the 49ers win the favor of Vegas bookies. The Rams have a clear, upward trajectory. This is a team that rocked the 13-4 Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round and came damn close to upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in a blizzard so intense, the Madden video game series saw fit to make it a key feature in this year’s gameplay.
Just as well, this is not a group on the decline. Emerging defensive stars paired with consistent offensive play have made the Rams look like a contender for next year’s division. Adding wide receiver Davante Adams only seems to make the assumption stronger. But when faced with the weakest schedule the league has to offer, it’s easy to see why most are predicting success for the Niners.
The organization has had numerous years of plague-like injuries, decimating a team that operates to the fullest when all key contributors are in motion. If Shanahan can rally this group, expecting better play from QB Brock Purdy and all-around improvement from first and second-year players like Ricky Pearsall, Mykell Williams, and Alfred Collins, then I can see a world where the Rams are leapfrogged in the divisional standings.
That being said, don’t count on it. McVay will continue to build on the growing success from prior seasons, and it’s much easier to see players like the incomparable Jared Verse developing rather than a risky draft choice like Georgia’s Mykell Williams. Expect the Niners to improve, but bet on the Rams to stay ahead.
Main Photo: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
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