The San Francisco 49ers enter the post-bye portion of their 2026 schedule at 6-1 and lead the NFC West. They are preparing to host the Las Vegas Raiders at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday as they look to get back on track.

San Francisco is coming off its first loss of the season, a Week 7 defeat against the Atlanta Falcons. The injury-battered 49ers hope to get several key players back while showing the loss to Atlanta was a setback, not the start of a downward trend.

The extra week of rest and preparation comes at a good time for a team that has dealt with a lengthy list of injuries throughout the first seven games. Getting some of those players back could provide a significant boost as the 49ers begin the second half of their schedule. The team also traded for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, bolstering the defensive front.

With the NFC West race still developing, San Francisco needs to avoid letting its first loss turn into a losing streak.

How does the national media view San Francisco compared to the rest of the NFL? Below is a roundup of the latest NFL power rankings, highlighting where the 49ers stand across various outlets. As always, the highest rankings appear first.

USA Today
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
“They come out of the bye week with needed rest for their battered stars, eyeing a schedule that only requires them to play on the road once in November, all while welcoming DT DeForest Buckner back into the building.” — Nate Davis

Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
“The 49ers made a smart move to bring back DeForest Buckner in a trade with the Colts. Buckner might not be at his peak, like he was with his first go-around with the 49ers, but he’s still a very good defensive lineman. The 49ers needed that. They also are hoping to get Nick Bosa back after the bye, which would be a big boost. San Francisco has to weigh making improvements now for a team that has dealt with many injuries, particularly at receiver, vs. restocking with draft picks. The 49ers haven’t drafted well in recent years and that has hurt their depth. That hasn’t been a problem this season but it’s looming. San Francisco also understands how a huge move can have a wide-ranging effect: A massive trade during the 2022 season for Christian McCaffrey boosted the team to a Super Bowl a season later and is still paying off. A trade for a receiver or defensive help would strengthen the 49ers’ standing as the Super Bowl favorite, but they have to keep an eye on the future as well.” — Frank Schwab

The Athletic
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 2
“The 49ers have the NFL’s most impressive collection of wins with victories over the Rams, Broncos and Seahawks. But the last time we saw this team, Mike Evans was out with an Achilles injury and Christian McCaffrey was slowed by a hamstring issue. As always, coach Kyle Shanahan is at the mercy of the gods.” — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff

Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
“The San Francisco 49ers have used the extra time around their bye to help retool their roster. The Niners are a legitimate contender, but injuries have once again played a significant role. So, general manager John Lynch continues to see what players might be available to pull off a trade. San Francisco already acquired three-time Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner to join Nick Bosa, Osa Odighizuwa, Keion White, Mykel Williams and rookie Gracen Halton along the defensive front. Lynch may not stop there. ‘San Francisco is still sniffing around for wide receiver help,’ the Athletic’s Jonathan Jones reported. Mike Evans has been banged up, while De’Zhaun Stribling and Ricky Pearsall are on injured reserve. San Francisco should be looking for another target so they won’t be forced to rely on Deebo Samuel, Brandin Cooks and Christian Kirk down the stretch.” — Brent Sobleski

CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
“They come off a much-needed bye with added help up front thanks to the DeForest Buckner trade. This is a team that will make a strong Super Bowl push.” — Pete Prisco

ESPN
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 1
“Best in-season trade acquisition ever: DE Fred Dean in 1981. Apologies to RB Christian McCaffrey (acquired in 2022), but you can draw a direct line between the Niners landing Dean and the rise of their dynasty. Upon Dean’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. said ‘the greatness of the 49ers began with Fred Dean’s arrival in San Francisco.’ The Niners sent a second-round pick to the Chargers in October 1981 for Dean with an eye toward bolstering the pass rush. Over the final 11 games, he recorded 12 sacks and earned first-team All-Pro honors. Dean added another in the playoffs as the Niners won their first Super Bowl (XVI) against Cincinnati. San Francisco won Super Bowl XIX as well, with Dean contributing four sacks in that postseason run.” — Nick Wagoner

NFL.com
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
“San Francisco hit the bye at the ideal time, spending the week off processing its first loss while hoping to welcome back a collection of key contributors from injury. If the 49ers can get healthier, they should remain in the top tier for the foreseeable future.” — Nick Shook

The Score
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
“With Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel battling injuries, the 49ers lined up with Brandin Cooks and Jordan Watkins as their starting wide receivers in Week 7. San Francisco reportedly tried to trade for Jauan Jennings, but the former Niner opted to stay with the Vikings. Kyle Shanahan’s outfit should still keep looking for a pass-catcher.” — Staff

Sporting News
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 4
“The 49ers are coming off a bye to recover from their only loss of the season and Brock Purdy‘s worst game of the season against the Falcons. Purdy has also been sacked seven times in the past three games after taking none in the first four. He has a pair of get-well games coming up, however, against the Raiders’ and Cowboys’ defenses.” — Vinnie Iyer

The Big Lead
Current Ranking: 3
Previous Ranking: 3
“The Niners had a much-needed bye this week and are still perched at no. 3, with the Vikings sliding past them, down to no. 6, and the Broncos leapfrogging them, up to No. 2.” — Cam Giangrande

FOX Sports
Current Ranking: 3
Previous Ranking: 5
“The bye week really might be the best thing that happened to this battered team, because they sure did need a chance to rest and get some people healthy. It remains to be seen if they did, but at least nobody else got hurt while they were watching TV this past weekend (presumably). They get the Raiders and the Cowboys coming out of their break, giving them a chance to ease back into action before back-to-back home games against the Vikings and the Seahawks. Health is the Niners’ key, though, and so far that’s mostly been bad.” — Ralph Vacchiano

Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 3
Previous Ranking: 4
“Was the bye enough time for Christian McCaffrey to get healthy?” — Mike Florio

Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 5
Previous Ranking: 4
“The Jauan Jennings deal falling through means that San Francisco has both told on itself and now faces a price increase at the receiver position heading toward the deadline. Still, a 6–1 start is not to be squandered, especially with a team this old.” — Conor Orr

More info on: Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Brandin Cooks, Mike Evans, Gracen Halton, Christian Kirk, Christian McCaffrey, Osa Odighizuwa, Ricky Pearsall, Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, De’Zhaun Stribling, Jordan Watkins, Keion White, Mykel Williams