The San Francisco 49ers had a brutal end to the 2025 season with a lopsided defeat to the Seattle Seahawks. However, quarterback Brock Purdy left no doubt about what his team is capable of next season.
After the game, Purdy was asked whether he thought the 2026 Niners are capable of winning a Super Bowl.
"One hundred percent," Purdy replied coolly without missing a beat.
Obviously, this is a not a surprising response. Purdy is not going to say the Niners have no chance next season. But the confidence with which he said it would give any San Francisco fan belief even if there are serious issues to address with the team.
With defensive coordinator Robert Saleh departing to become the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, the 49ers will again have to find a new defensive play caller. That could easily lead to more defensive issues next season.
There are issues on the offensive side of the ball as well, though. While Purdy and Co. were absolutely humming down the stretch, putting up 40-something points per game, they ran into a buzzsaw in two games against the Seattle Seahawks and were shaky at times against the Philadelphia Eagles.
They clearly need more weapons for Purdy at wide receiver, and they are most likely going to be without star tight end George Kittle for a good chunk of the season.
The run game also needs to be more effective in 2026. Christian McCaffrey is still a heck of a player, but he does not have the same burst he once had, which is part of why the Niners were not all that effective on the ground.
Despite all of this, the 49ers still made the playoffs and won a game, which is remarkable considering all of the key players they were missing.
Purdy was a big reason the Niners made it as far as they did. When he was healthy, San Francisco was 7-2 in his starts and threw 20 touchdown passes compared to 10 interceptions.
He was playing arguably the best ball we have seen from him coming down the stretch in the regular season and he was displaying a new confidence as well, dancing after touchdowns and providing some energy for the team.
There will inevitably still be those that doubt him, but he showed he can win without his key weapons in 2025.
If they can make some additions in the offseason, then Purdy may very well be proven right that the Niners can win a Super Bowl.