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San Francisco 49ers: Power ranking the franchise’s top 5 rivalries

By Nick Di Marco

Wide receiver Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers with cornerback Deion Sanders #21 of the Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Joseph Patronite/Getty Images)
Wide receiver Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers with cornerback Deion Sanders #21 of the Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Joseph Patronite/Getty Images) /
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Richard Sherman, Michael Crabtree, 49ers, Seahawks
Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Michael Crabtree #15 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

49ers Rival No. 2: Seattle Seahawks

This rivalry is my personal favorite as this has been a nonstop back and forth between the two teams for the better part of 10 years.

Not only are these two teams NFC West rivals, but have faced off numerous times in the playoffs, and produced some of the most exciting matchups in the last decade. Even people who aren’t a fan of either team run to their TVs to catch this matchup. It is a guaranteed nail-bitter no matter the state of either team’s roster. The competitive edge of these games makes for amazing prime-time football.

The Seahawks currently hold the edge in the two franchises’ overall matchup total, with a record of 26-17-0.

All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman was best-known by 49ers fans during his tenure with the Seahawks as the team’s public enemy No. 1, constantly insulting Niners players in post-match interviews, famously calling then-49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree “a sorry player.”

Sherman’s not-so-subtle contract disputes with the Seahawks front office led to him jumping ship and joining the 49ers in 2018, which was a shock move to almost everyone around the league. Sherman has gone on to polish his attitude with respect to the media and remains as one of the league’s premier corners.

Their most recent matchup was a Week 17 game in which rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw iced the Seahawks when he pancaked tight end, Jacob Hollister, from scoring the game-winning touchdown at the 1-yard line, which led to the Niners locking up the 2019 NFC title crown.

Luckily, both teams rosters are in a very competitive state, which will surely continue to produce countless prime-time matchups for years to come. It is totally possible that in 10 years, this rivalry will be considered as the 49ers’ top foe of all time.