After big-game beatdowns, 49ers' thoughts on Seahawks are hard to believe
· Yahoo Sports
After the San Francisco 49ers were dominated by the Seahawks in two high-stakes games in January, they watched from their couch as their NFC West rivals later celebrated their victory in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium by shotgunning Coors Lights, smoking Meerapfel cigars and dancing to NBA YoungBoy in the 49ers' locker room.
Eight months later, with the stench finally no longer lingering, the 49ers will meet the defending NFL champions Sunday for the first time since they ended the 2025 season by getting outscored 54-9 by the Seahawks in a 14-day span.
Visit freshyourfeel.org for more information.
How motivated will the revenge-minded 49ers be for this showdown?
"Just another week," linebacker Fred Warner said. "The next one."
Center Jake Brendel also offered an answer that was the equivalent of a stifled yawn.
"It's not so much that they were in our locker room, and they won the Super Bowl, and that sort of thing," Brendel said. "But it is a division opponent."
Guard Dominick Puni struck the same note. He suggested the 49ers would be as juiced to play Seattle as they were when they hosted Arizona, losers of 17 of their last 21 games, in Week 3.
"I think anytime you play a divisional opponent - whether it be the Seahawks, the Rams, or the Cardinals - there's always a little more juice to that game," Puni said.
The unbeaten 49ers (4-0) are playing the role of unaffected before reuniting with Seattle (3-1) at Lumen Field. Of course, it's hard to believe they are really this blasé after the Seahawks beat them 13-3 in 2025 regular-season finale, taking the NFC's No. 1 seed from the 49ers, before pummeling them 41-6 in the divisional playoffs, handing the 49ers their second-worst postseason loss in franchise history.
A sign that the 49ers are being less than candid: Their head coach had a different script Wednesday. Kyle Shanahan at least acknowledged there might be even more emotion Sunday given the Seahawks beat them by five touchdowns shortly before lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
"I think playing a divisional game always feels a little bit more" intense, Shanahan said. "Playing a big rival like the Seahawks always does. Them being the Super Bowl winners. How the last game went. So everything."
The last time Shanahan saw Seattle up close wasn't during the divisional-round beatdown. Instead, it was during Super Bowl LX, when Shanahan served as a guest pregame and halftime analyst. He said he left with his wife, Mandy, in the third quarter. He wasn't into watching the Seahawks finish off their 29-13 win?
"Not at all," Shanahan said. "It was tough."
The players are certainly underselling their emotions for Sunday's game, but there are reasons to not be too sky-high: It is only Week 5 and the veteran-laden 49ers know that an early season win in ear-splitting Seattle may not mean much in a few months. Last year, the 49ers opened their season with a 17-13 win at Lumen Field.
Still, a little bit of payback would be sweet after the Seahawks limited them to three field goals in their last two meetings.
When pressed on his just-another-week outlook, Warner smiled, suggesting his real emotions were just beneath the surface, when reminded of the Seahawks celebrating a title in the 49ers' locker room shortly after trouncing them twice.
Before Warner roared like a lion, feigning fury, he asked: "Are you trying to rile me up?"
Subscribe
There’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at After big-game beatdowns, 49ers' thoughts on Seahawks are hard to believe.