ESPN simulation projects San Francisco 49ers as top seed in NFC

An ESPN Football Power Index simulation for the 2026 NFL season projects the San Francisco 49ers finishing with an NFL-best 13-4 record. The forecast places the team as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, earning a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The simulation tracks a regular season finish where the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams contended for the NFC West title until the final week. According to the projection, the San Francisco 49ers eventually fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round by a score of 24-21. The Detroit Lions emerged from the simulation as the conference representative in the Super Bowl after defeating the Los Angeles Rams 20-17 in the NFC Championship game. These projections are based on nearly 10,000 simulations conducted by the Football Power Index.

• 3:01 PMYahoo Sports — ESPN simulation predicts the 49ers will return to the top of the NFC West