The San Francisco 49ers carry the unfortunate burden of being in the NFL's most difficult division. The NFC West is home to three of the top teams in football, including the current Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams. But heading into the 2026 season, the Niners might have an edge over Sean McVay's squad on offense.
Manti Te'o's playing career with the Los Angeles Chargers might be over, but he's not done stirring things up in L.A. On a recent appearance on Good Morning Football, Te'o called the 49ers' offense the best in the NFC West.
Te'o said, "This offense, it's the most dangerous in that division, in my opinion. A lot of people will talk about the Rams, and rightfully so."
49ers' offense might be better than Rams'
It's certainly a bold take from the former linebacker. The Rams tied the New England Patriots for the most EPA per play in the NFL last season, and they blew the rest of the league out of the water in both offensive success rate and passing touchdowns. The Niners had a relatively down year but still finished within the top 10 in most offensive statistical categories.
But if everyone can stay healthy, San Francisco might have a more dangerous group of weapons than Los Angeles. There may not be a team in the NFL that has more offensive stars than the Niners. The combination of Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, and others gives Shanahan a variety of ways to attack opposing defenses on each play.
Sure, the Rams have a better tandem of top receivers in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. But the group is alarmingly thin after that. L.A. is relying on significant contributions from players like Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumphield, while San Francisco can turn to depth pieces like Christian Kirk and De'Zhaun Stribling if another wideout misses time.
Injuries may have hurt the Niners' reputation in recent seasons, but we're only two years removed from Shanahan's group establishing itself as the top offense in the NFL. While San Francisco will trot out a different group of weapons in 2026, it's not hard to picture a return to the top.
Shanahan and McVay will be compared to one another throughout their coaching careers. They're the two best offensive minds in the sport, and they're consistently pitted against each other in divisional battles. If Te'o is right, Shanahan will win this round of the ongoing fight between the two NFC West head coaches.
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