The Seahawks and Rams have gotten all the media love this offseason, and that means a potential Super Bowl threat is being forgotten about.
The Seattle Seahawks have been the talk of the NFL world since winning the Super Bowl, as attention turns to how Mike Macdonald's team can repeat as champs.
But history isn't on their side, and neither is the strength of the division.
The Los Angeles Rams have been the other NFC West team in the headlines often this offseason, mainly because of the league-altering trade for Myles Garrett.
Not to mention other additions in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Warren to complete the defense.
So you could argue the Rams are one of, if not the most complete teams in football, plus the Seahawks are Super Bowl champs, the NFC West is a gauntlet.
But we are forgetting about one other team in the division, and that's the San Francisco 49ers.
Last season, despite being riddled with injuries, the 49ers, under Kyle Shanahan, posted a 12-5 record before getting curb-stomped by the Seahawks in the postseason 41-6 as injuries finally took their toll.
But with all the talk this offseason being on the Seahawks and Rams, 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk is loving going under the radar.
"We feel great about where our team is at," Juszczyk said on The Insiders via NFL.com. "The fact that we won 13 games last season with all that we had to deal with, I think that's easy to forget. And rightfully so. The Seahawks won a Super Bowl, the Rams had a great season, they had some great additions in the offseason, so I can understand why that is the case.
"But I think we feel great about where we're at. I love our squad. I think that we have only improved. Guys are getting healthy. We added Mike Evans and Osa (Odighizuwa) on defense, which I think both of those guys are going to make such an impact. I think we're sitting in a good spot. If people want to forget about us, that's fantastic. That's a good place to be sometimes."
So, the 49ers can't be slept on in 2026.
Yes, the Seahawks and Rams have taken the headlines, and rightly so, but that has allowed the 49ers to go about their business in the background with no fan fare.
One thing we know about the 49ers under Shanahan is that he will have his team ready to roll this season, and if he can win 12 games plus a playoff game with an injury-ridden team, if the injury bug stays away, who knows what the franchise could do in 2026.
The NFC West is widely regarded as the best division in football, and when you have a team like the 49ers being forgotten, you know that is the case.
