Updated October 11, 2026, 9:40 p.m. ET
The San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFL through Week 5 after their 32-29 victory over the NFC division rival Seattle Seahawks to remain undefeated in 2026.
The Niners traveled to Lumen Field in Seattle and handed the defending Super Bowl champions their second loss of the season and their first loss at home. San Francisco earned a close victory thanks to a 44-yard field goal by kicker Eddy Pineiro with one minute, 56 seconds left in the game. Pineiro went 1 of 2 on field goals and 3 of 3 on extra points.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy didn’t have the superhero performance of previous weeks, but he still made game-winning plays when it counted and gave his team a chance to win. He was sacked for the first time this season against the Seahawks, who reached him three times. Seattle’s defense also forced an interception, courtesy of Nehemiah Pritchett.
Still, Purdy threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-29 passing. Mike Evans was Purdy’s most targeted receiver Sunday. Evans had seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. Purdy’s second touchdown was a go-ahead pass to recently signed wide receiver Brandin Cooks with 11 minutes, two seconds left to put the Niners ahead, 29-26.
Running back Christian McCaffrey had a rather quiet, but efficient day, with 11 touches for 68 yards and a score.
The 49ers defense made it difficult for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold to find a rhythm in the game. He was 18 of 29 for 195 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, both thrown to 49ers cornerback Renardo Green. Fred Warner led the team with 10 tackles, but rookie defensive tackle Gracen Holden had one of his best games of his young career. Holden recorded three tackles, including two for loss of yards and a sack. He also recorded a fumble and a recovery for a touchdown. The Niners defense allowed 29 points, but forced four turnovers and sacked Darnold five times.
It was an emotional game. Tempers flared in the second quarter after Dre Greenlaw was hit with a 15-yard penalty for a late hit on Darnold on the Seahawks sideline. Greenlaw went at it with Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV and head-butted Jones without a helmet. Greenlaw was ejected from the match.
Additionally, wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. joined Greenlaw with an early exit from the game. Samuel left, not because of a disqualification, but because of a hamstring injury. Samuel was injured after taking a first-and-10 left tackle late in the third quarter. The 30-year-old apparently fell on his own and remained on the pitch after the match.
Samuel received medical treatment on the field but eventually managed to make his way to the sidelines. He was seen sitting on the bench, hunched over, after the game and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the competition.
The Niners were already missing players against the Seahawks, including Kurtis Rourke, Nick Bosa, James Thompson Jr., Marques Sigle, Kyle Juszczyk, Enrique Cruz Jr. and Tatum Bethune.
San Francisco (5-0) will play a nationally televised game in Week 6 when it hosts the Washington Commanders (1-3-1) in a “Monday Night Football” showdown at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Oct. 19 at 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT).
WINNERS AND LOSERS
Here are the winners and losers from the 49ers and Seahawks Week 5 game:
Winner: Mike Evans
Mike Evans continues to prove why it was the perfect marriage by signing with the 49ers. San Francisco needed a reliable No. 1 receiver. Evans, throughout his NFL career, has been not only reliable, but exceptional. There were concerns about his availability, but Evans proves that when he’s on the field – even at 33 – he can make it happen.
He controlled the outside and every time the 49ers needed a big play against the Seahawks, they came in at number five. Evans recorded seven catches, 113 yards and a touchdown. But that’s the confidence the All-Pro receiver brings to the Niners’ offense. You throw it at him, he goes for it. Single coverage? Might as well score a reception.
Loser: Trevon Diggs
The Seahawks have lost two of their last three games to fall to 3-2 but it is cornerback Trevon Diggs who will bear the brunt of the jokes after the defeat. There was a brief moment in the game where Diggs and Evans engaged in trash talk after a play.
It’s unclear what Evans said, but he made a subtle gesture by grabbing Diggs and turning him around. The moment made the rounds on social media as many thought the wide receiver was asking who the Seahawks defensive back was.
“I didn’t know it was him,” Evans told reporters after the match. “I was like, ‘Who are you?’ Then I made sure.”
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