Fitzpatrick sees a dangerous 49ers team peaking at the right time, their potent offense and tenacious defense making them a true postseason contender.
The Niners are rolling since they got starting quarterback Brock Purdy back from injury. Now they sit in prime position to lock down a playoff spot and make a postseason run.
That feeling is not just a 49ers talking point. NFL watchers and analysts across the country view San Francisco as a legitimate threat to do damage in a wide-open playoff race.
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick views the Niners as a real contender. He shared the following thoughts on whether or not the team can contend on the "Pardon My Take" podcast.
"I do, I think they'd be a really dangerous team. A lot of these teams, when you can score like they can, when you can possess the ball like the 49ers can, that really helps the defense out. They've been banged up on defense. They are a little bit of a mash unit, but the aggressiveness that they play with, flying around, when you watch film and you can see the speed and the team rallying to the ball on defense and that pops out to you when you're watching on the All-22, it's really impressive. That's the stamp that Robert Saleh puts on his defenses all of the time. These guys are playing really hard."
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Kyle Terada-Imagn ImagesThere's really not a whole lot we can glean from a win over the Tennessee Titans, who now look destined for one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL draft. Brock Purdy had a near perfect game at quarterback for San Francisco with a passer rating hovering around 152.0. Then again, great performance is almost to be expected against a team that could draft as high as No. 1 overall. That game might not translate to the postseason.
What will translate to the postseason is the Niners keep winning, and they keep making plays on both sides of the football. The next man up in San Francisco is simply different than those players are elsewhere. Whether or not that's head coach Kyle Shanahan's ability to fit the scheme to the players or the 49ers' depth is up for debate. What might not be up for debate is that this team looks like a playoff team right now.
Winning in the postseason is not always about how you played over the course of the season. Sometimes it's simply how a team is playing as it approaches the tournament. And for the Niners, it looks like their team is peaking at just the right time.