One of the most exciting developments of the 49ers’ 4-0 start to the 2026 season has been the play of the offensive line.
A much, and often unfairly, maligned position group for the Niners, Chris Foerster’s group have excelled through the opening four weeks.
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They have not allowed a sack through the first four games, with the 49ers the first team to achieve that feat since the 2005 Indianapolis Colts.
Per Pro Football Reference, the 49ers have allowed a pressure rate of just 13 percent, the best in the NFL. San Francisco was 10th in the league (19.5%) last year
The Niners’ O-Line was on an upward trajectory last season, and it is obviously no surprise that future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams is playing at a high level. Right tackle Colton McKivitz enjoyed the best season of his career last term and has established himself as one of the better starters at that spot in the NFL.
Brock Purdy’s pocket presence and mobility have also contributed to the Niners’ success in keeping him clean to this point. However, the biggest surprise surrounding the play of the 49ers’ O-Line so far is the performance of the players on the interior.
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Center Jake Brendel is a player who has previously received more criticism than his play on the field merited, but the big questions up front going into the season concerned the two guard spots. With right guard Dominick Puni having played through the lingering effects of a knee injury in 2025 and the 49ers seemingly lacking a convincing option on the left side next to Williams.
But left guard Connor Colby has made that role his own through the first four games. While he can still be considered the weak link from a pass protection perspective, Colby has more than held his own and has shown considerable prowess as a run blocker, particularly when climbing to the second level blocking for zone runs.
Puni, meanwhile, has delivered performances that have served as a reminder of why the 49ers were so excited about him coming off his rookie season in 2024.
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He has given up four pressures in 231 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus (h/t Al Sacco), with his resurgence and the emergence of Colby fortifying what was seen as one of the most significant weaknesses on the 49er roster.
But the interior offensive line will receive its sternest test of the season so far when San Francisco travels north to face the Seattle Seahawks and their ferocious defensive front.
The Seahawks are fifth in the league in pressure rate (30.9%), per PFR, with their imposing starting three-man front of Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II and Jarran Reed supplemented by the likes of Uchenna Nwosu, Demarcus Lawrence and Derick Hall rushing off the edge.
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That group has once again played a critical role in the defending Super Bowl champions maintaining their dominant defensive form of last season. The Seahawks rank fourth in the NFL on defense in by EPA per play and second by success rate. For as much as they are fearsome unit to throw the ball against, they arguably make life even tougher for the ground game.
Indeed, the Seahawks have allowed a rushing success rate of just 30% this season, the third-best in the league.
In short, Puni and Colby will have their work cut out for them to maintain their stellar play in pass protection and open holes in the run game.
Speaking at his press conference on Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan detailed the challenge facing his O-Line.
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Asked about the task of taking on the Seahawks’ interior D-Line, Shanahan said:
“They’re as good as it gets. Just individually, I think [Seattle Seahawks DL] Leonard Williams is second to none just in how good of a player he’s been here over the last few years and still is. Then just how deep they are. There’s not one guy out there who’s not a good player. They roll them, so they play like overachievers because of how hard they go. They play with their hair on fire, but they’re definitely more than that because they’re very talented. It starts with Leonard, but down the line, even outside with [Seattle Seahawks LB DeMarcus] Lawrence, who’s been good for so long. They’ve got a real good group.”
Getting through the win over the Denver Broncos and their formidable defense with the clean sheet of sacks allowed still intact was a huge feather in the cap for the 49ers and their O-Line.
But the difficulty level ratchets up against the Seahawks in the toughest road environment in football, in what will be the first ‘true’ road game the 49ers have played this season. It’s unrealistic to expect the 49ers to prevent Seattle from getting to Purdy at all on Sunday, but, if they can limit the damage and lay the foundation for an offensive performance that delivers a victory, it will send a message that the Niners have rectified a chink in their armor as they push to contend for the Super Bowl in 2026.
