The San Francisco 49ers opened their 2026 NFL campaign with a statement win over a division rival. San Francisco traveled to Melbourne, Australia, and secured a convincing 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
It was a significant win for the 49ers, who entered Week 1 as underdogs but showed they are ready to compete in what many consider the NFL's toughest division.
Next up for the 49ers is their home opener against the Miami Dolphins, who are coming off a 27-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
How does the national media view the 49ers compared to the rest of the NFL? Below is a roundup of the latest NFL power rankings, highlighting where San Francisco currently stands across various outlets. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 6
"After the franchise's drama-filled offseason and with questions about the aging roster, the 49ers had no trouble moving the ball against the Rams. Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns, the running game (including rookie Kaelon Black) looked good and Raheem Morris' defense was great. It'd be hard to draw up a better start." — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
USA Today
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 7
"Their 'Sleep tight' tweet served as the mic drop of Week 1 after the Niners, who were at least close to full strength after juggling so many injuries in 2025, stuck it to the apparently jet-lagged Rams in Australia. The NFC West is already shaping up as a three-way heavyweight bout once again, and the 49ers − if healthy − have certainly shown they've got the goods to be a Super Sunday threat. They were clicking in all three phases out of the box." — Nate Davis
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 3
Previous Ranking: 8
"Head coach Kyle Shanahan should feel encouraged by what he saw out of his offense. Quarterback Brock Purdy has a strong connection with free-agent acquisition Mike Evans. Deebo Samuel Sr. fit in like he never left. Both scored touchdowns. Rookie second-rounder Kaelon Black looks like a solid complement to Christian McCaffrey as the two split a majority of the carries. If the 49ers' veteran-led offense and defense stay healthy, with the help of a few young players like Black, this team will be in the thick of an NFC West title race again." — Moe Moton
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 4
Previous Ranking: 10
"Stars can carry teams, and there's will be able to do that if they stay healthy. They showed how good a coach Kyle Shanahan is in the victory over the Rams." — Pete Prisco
ESPN
Current Ranking: 5
Previous Ranking: 9
"Non-QB newcomer debut: WR Mike Evans. Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa was also impactful in his Niners debut, but it's hard to argue with Evans' production. He finished with six receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown, and each of those catches somehow went for either a first down or a score. That gave him the most receiving first downs by any player in a team debut since the Rams' Puka Nacua had six in 2023. Evans signed a three-year deal with the 49ers in free agency." — Nick Wagoner
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 5
Previous Ranking: 9
"The 49ers deserve this massive jump for picking apart the Rams' so-called daunting defense. The changing up of receivers has been a boon for a well-protected Brock Purdy and it's clear the defense is feeding well off the energy of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner again. Whatever happened off the field, San Francisco didn't allow that to lose any sharpness on the field, even miles away from home." — Vinnie Iyer
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 5
Previous Ranking: 16
"Few teams looked better than the 49ers in Week 1. It remains to be seen how the 49ers react to coming back from Australia, but their next two games are at home against the Dolphins and Cardinals. That helps. It's hard to buy that the 49ers can stay healthy — exciting rookie De'Zhaun Stribling suffered an ankle injury that will keep him out at least a month — but if they can then San Francisco showed it can be as good as anyone." — Frank Schwab
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 6
Previous Ranking: 17
"The NFL will almost certainly look into Kyle Shanahan's creative interpretation of the new motion concepts he rolled out against Los Angeles which helped power the running game the Rams had no interest in stopping. And, I suppose, they finally settled the debate that experiencing Australia for a week is better than experiencing it for roughly 29 hours. While I am still upset that the biggest matchup of opening weekend was turned into a sleep and recovery contest, San Francisco deserves its flowers for getting it done." — Conor Orr
FOX Sports
Current Ranking: 7
Previous Ranking: 10
"They heard all the talk about the dream team Rams and became L.A.'s worst nightmare. If the Niners stay healthy, they actually could end up the best team in the dangerous NFC West." — Ralph Vacchiano
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 9
Previous Ranking: 17
"The 49ers spent a week in Australia and completely outclassed the Rams, playing with more discipline, desire and aggression than Los Angeles. It seemed as if Kyle Shanahan and Co. read the offseason puff pieces about Sean McVay's dream team and decided it was their duty to prove them wrong. They did just that for at least one week -- and proved all of us Niner doubters wrong, too." — Nick Shook
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 10
Previous Ranking: 15
"They turned the page decisively on all of those bizarre offseason storylines." — Mike Florio
Mentioned in this article: Kaelon Black, Nick Bosa, Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey, Osa Odighizuwa, Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, De'Zhaun Stribling, Fred Warner
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