Malik Mustapha of the San Francisco 49ers does not need to say the word “Seahawks” this week. Everyone in the locker room already knows what Sunday means.
Mustapha Says Everyone Knows the Mindset
The 49ers are 4-0 and head to Lumen Field to face the Seattle Seahawks. Their 2025 season ended there in January with a 41-6 divisional-round loss. Seattle went on to win the Super Bowl.
Mustapha will step into the starting lineup for injured safety Marques Sigle. Asked how excited he was to get that playoff taste out of his mouth, he kept it short. “I think it’s unspoken,” Mustapha said. “Everyone knows what it is. Everyone knows the mindset going into it. We don’t like them, and we have to go after it and get the job done.”
The message was clear: the 49ers know exactly what Sunday means.
“I think it’s unspoken. Everyone knows what it is. Everyone knows the mindset going into it. We don’t like them, and we have to go after it and get the
Neal and Warner Echo the 49ers’ Motivation
Mustapha is not alone. Siran Neal was the hero of Sunday’s win over the Denver Broncos. His tackle, forced fumble and recovery on a punt return changed a game tied 3-3. He also keeps a video on his phone of Rashid Shaheed’s 95-yard kickoff return touchdown that opened the playoff loss.
“I hated that feeling,” Neal said, per The Athletic. “Just remember seeing the back of his jersey, and that play swung the whole momentum of that game. I put that loss on my back, and I know this is going to be a hard-fought game.”
Fred Warner called the matchup a great test. “It feels legendary to be 4-0,” Warner said. “It feels like we got a great test ahead of us in Seattle coming up. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Shanahan Downplays the Playoff Rematch Angle
Head coach Kyle Shanahan does not see it the same way. Asked about using January as motivation, he pushed back. “I see two totally different teams,” Shanahan said. “I know we’re a much different team now, and I don’t like to correlate many things to the previous year.”
Shanahan has another task this week. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk will miss a few weeks with a knee injury. He was central to the dash motion San Francisco runs before the snap. Shanahan said tight ends Luke Farrell and Brayden Willis might be able to replicate some of it.
A Big Test for the 49ers
The players’ version and the coach’s version can sit side by side. San Francisco opened in Australia and then won three straight at home. Seattle is 3-1 and beat the 49ers twice in three weeks to close last season. Sunday tests both approaches.
49ers Starter Sends Blunt Message Before Seahawks Showdown