The San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs look like two teams on a collision course for the Super Bowl.
With only six weeks into the NFL season, the 49ers (6–0) and Chiefs (5–0) are unbeaten and looking convincing. The Niners held off the Washington Commanders 23–17 on Monday to end Week 6, and San Francisco held a big lead, 20–3, before the Commanders rallied.
Kansas City won comfortably on Sunday, 22–6, over a desperate Los Angeles Chargers team.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle told ESPN’s SportsCenter afterward that one week is all that matters.
“Kyle said it in our team meeting last night,” he told ESPN’s SportsCenter. “Two games in eight days. That’s all we have to focus on; then you guys get a week off.”
This isn’t new for Kittle or many of his teammates, and it’s the same for the Chiefs. The two squads met in the Super Bowl in 2019 and 2023, and Kansas City has been to five Super Bowls since 2019.
“All in all, it’s great to win in this league, and it’s hard. It’s a hard thing to do,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Sunday. “They’re not always going to be pretty, but you have to battle through that and then get yourself right for the following week. So, that’s where we’re at, and what we’re going to do.”
Kansas City bounced back from a losing season in 2025 and started this year strong with quarterback Patrick Mahomes back healthy after a torn ACL and LCL. The Chiefs opened with a 31–10 win over the defending AFC West champion Denver Broncos, and Kansas City kept winning from there behind a resurgent offense and defense.
As for San Francisco, the 49ers kicked things off with a 27–7 win in Australia over the Los Angeles Rams, and the Niners haven’t slowed down despite injuries. San Francisco dominated in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins but needed close wins the three weeks, including Monday.
San Francisco edged the Arizona Cardinals 36–30 on Sept. 27 after a wild fourth quarter where the 49ers gave up 13 points. The 49ers also needed a strong fourth quarter to ward off the Broncos, 24–14, on Oct. 4 when quarterback Brock Purdy sealed the game on a late touchdown pass.
While the 49ers gave up 11 points in that fourth quarter, the Niners defense locked down the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 11, allowing just a field goal in the fourth quarter. Purdy drove the 49ers late with the score knotted, 29–29, and kicker Eddy Pineiro drilled a 44-yard field goal to win, 32–29.
On Monday, the 49ers defense stepped up again in the fourth quarter, allowing only a touchdown. The Niners defense turned the Commanders over on downs to start the next drive, but the Commanders got the ball back late after the 49ers punted.
Niners defensive ends Keion White and Romello Height then concluded the game on a sack of quarterback Jayden Daniels near midfield.
It wasn’t a perfect night for the defense, with penalties and giving the Commanders back into the game in the second half.
“I was just really proud of the defense for finding a way to overcome … all those penalties and us [the offense] not being able to help them out there at the end,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters afterward. “I love how our defense hits.”
San Francisco has been littered with injuries despite the strong start: Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, Jake Tonges, Isaac Guerendo, Christian Kirk and De’Zhaun Stribling. The 49ers lost Mike Evans again to injury during Monday’s game, and his outlook remains unknown.
Kansas City has dealt with injuries, too, including Rashee Rice, Josh Simmons, Jaylon Moore, Tyquan Thornton, Cooper McDonald, and Omarr Norman-Lott, among others.
The Chiefs have been healthy at quarterback, and adding running back Kenneth Walker III has been huge. Walker has 665 yards and six touchdowns on 106 carries, making Mahomes’ job even easier.
It’s still early in the season, but the 49ers and Chiefs clearly command their respective conferences like no other teams. Whether it results in a February Super Bowl reunion will play out over the next 12 weeks and the postseason.
