Yes, the San Francisco 49ers are 3-0. However, the loss of Nick Bosa is a tough pill to swallow for a team with such a fast start in the NFC. Only six teams in the NFL are undefeated, and three of them are in the NFC, with Tampa Bay and Philadelphia being the other two. The likelihood of a playoff berth is high for the 49ers, and the team is well-coached under Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh, who runs the defense.
After three weeks, where does the NFL media rank the 49ers?
ESPN.com – The 49ers remain outside the top ten at number 11
The theme for this week’s power rankings is the biggest concern on defense for each team. Bosa’s injury is the obvious choice, and Nick Wagoner explains why the 49ers didn’t move up or down this week.
“Before Sunday, the 49ers had avoided season-ending injuries to key defensive players. But Bosa tore the ACL in his right knee against the Cardinals, and he will miss the rest of the campaign. This means the Niners will have to lean even more into a youth movement that already saw them install eight starters who were not in the starting lineup in Week 1 of 2024. Bosa was not only the team’s best defensive lineman, he was the veteran leader for the group. As left tackle Trent Williams put it Sunday, the 49ers will need three or four guys to help fill Bosa’s shoes.”
NFL.com – The Kansas City Chiefs are one spot ahead of the 49ers
Eric Edholm pushed the 49ers up one spot to number 12 this week. Seattle is right behind them, and Kansas City is ahead of the 49ers. Quite the sandwich.
“Mac Jones looked doomed when he threw a fourth-quarter interception, and the 49ers’ chances of beating the Cardinals dropped to 16 percent, per Next Gen Stats, after the disastrous safety with just over three minutes left. But the San Francisco defense held, and Jones rallied the team down the field to set up the game-winning kick for a huge divisional win and a 3-0 start. Ricky Pearsall was quiet in the first 20 minutes but ultimately came up with big catch after big catch, including a massive deep grab on fourth-and-2 in the final quarter. After the victory, however, awful news arrived with Nick Bosa’s torn ACL. The Niners’ defense has done its job so far, but that job is about to be a lot more difficult, especially with some tougher games upcoming. It’s rarely easy in San Francisco, as Bosa is just the latest big-name 49er to go down with a major injury the past few years.”
Bleacher Report – The 49ers crack the top ten
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report understands that wins are wins in the NFL. After their third consecutive victory, the 49ers move up one spot to number ten.
The San Francisco 49ers don’t need style points to be a top team in these power rankings. They’ve won all three of their games by five or fewer points, which has tested their mettle.
Thus far, the battle-tested 49ers are atop the NFC West, and they have two wins with backup quarterback Mac Jones, who aggravated a knee injury last Sunday. Kudos to Eddy Pineiro for his game-winning kick to maintain San Francisco’s unblemished record.
Still, injuries continue to ravage the Niners–star edge-rusher Nick Bosa is reportedly out for the season after tearing his ACL Sunday.
USA Today – The 49ers fall behind the Seahawks?
The 49ers have been winning gritty, and sometimes ugly, games in 2025. Nate Davis of USA Today believes the 49ers’ victories are fool’s gold. San Francisco falls one spot despite the win and is behind the Seahawks at number 13.
“A 3-0 start is obviously nice. But when you’re winning by an average of 3.3 points, then lose Pro Bowl DE Nick Bosa (torn ACL) for the duration? It’s got the potential to become fool’s gold awfully fast.“
Pro Football Talk – The 49ers hold at number 12
Mike Florio has the Chiefs just ahead of the 49ers, and praises the 49ers’ ability to win games despite impactful injuries.
“Despite all of the injuries, they keep on winning.”
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