Three of the best teams in the entire NFL last season resided in the NFC West. Of those three clubs, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams were the most popular picks from pundits to win the Super Bowl this February.
But all three of those clubs have already played a game. Some pundits have suggested that after just one week, the San Francisco 49ers are the team to beat again in the west.
At least that’s what 49ers reporter David Lombardi strongly suggested with a social media post that doubled as an emphatic message to the Seahawks.
“Remember that a (mostly) healthy 49ers team beat — **and statistically dominated** — 2025’s eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on the road to open last season,” wrote Lombardi on X on Thursday.
“Today’s result simply validates what we knew: If the 49ers are healthy, they’re probably the NFC West’s best team. They have the most A-list players.”
Lombardi fired that opinion after the 49ers routed the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, 27-7. The Seahawks knocked off the New England Patriots the day prior, 13-10.
Seahawks Put on Notice From 49ers Reporter
There’s a couple notable responses to have to Lombardi’s social media post.
First, the Seahawks and 49ers played two more times in the 2025 season. Seattle won both games, including a 41-6 drubbing in the postseason.
Lombardi would likely come back with the narrative that the 49ers weren’t healthy in the two rematches. While true, it’s also an excuse. NFL teams are rarely completely healthy in the playoffs, and clubs have to win with the players available to them.
It’s also not like the 49ers suffered injuries for the first time last season. They’ve often been an injury-plagued team. So, while they are healthy after Week 1 in 2026, it’s a major question whether they still will be in December and January.
Finally, weird things often happen in Week 1 around the NFL. The Seahawks lost the season opener last season but then suffered just two more defeats the rest of the campaign. So the 49ers were hardly the better team.
And San Francisco’s win in Australia hardly makes them the better team right now this season. Especially when considering the circumstances the Rams players were put in with the travel across the globe.
Seahawks-49ers to Meet in Week 5
Lombardi might have gone a little far with his emphatic message Thursday night. But he’s correct that the 49ers could be a force to be reckoned with once again this season.
San Francisco just has to play more games to find out. The next Seahawks-49ers showdown could be telling too.
The two NFC West rivals will meet at Lumen Field in Week 5 on Sunday, October 11. Whichever team wins that game could be in the driving seat of the division during the first half.
The Seahawks will visit San Francisco the Sunday after Thanksgiving in Week 12.
Seattle will have its work cut out for it staying in front of both San Francisco and Los Angeles this season. But until one of those rivals defeats the Seahawks, Seattle remains the team to beat as the defending champions.
Seahawks Get Emphatic Message From 49ers Insider