49ers’ Trent Williams sees the brightside in playoff loss to Seahawks

Saturday night brought a painful end to the San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 campaign, with a lopsided 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round at Lumen Field. It was the second-worst postseason defeat in San Francisco’s history. The only loss that was worse than tonight was the 49-3 blowout against the New York Giants in 1986. It also extended a troubling trend against Seattle, as the 49ers failed to score a touchdown in their final two meetings with the Seahawks. Seattle, the NFC’s top seed, advanced with a 15-3 record, while the 49ers finished the season 13-6.

However, veteran offensive tackle Trent Williams, despite the season-ending loss, offered an optimistic take, pointing to how far an injury-ravaged roster managed to go.

“Nobody thought we’d be here, let alone thought we would win this game,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re playing with house money when we get to this point, considering who we played with.”

"Nobody thought we'd even be here."

Trent Williams on the 49ers' season. pic.twitter.com/mXT3Wzwr41

— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2026

San Francisco relied on replacements throughout the season, including Mac Jones, Eddy Pineiro, and Eric Kendricks. Injuries also devastated the defensive front, as Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams both tore ACLs and were lost for the season, impacting edge containment against the Seahawks run game.

For his part, Williams finished the year strong once again. The 37-year-old played a career-high 16 games, earning his 12th Pro Bowl selection, and was named second-team All-Pro.

Seattle wasted no time Saturday night, taking the lead when All-Pro return specialist Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The Seahawks built a 17-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back. San Francisco’s offense was limited to two field goals by Pineiro, from 40 and 56 yards, comprising the team’s only points.

Quarterback Brock Purdy completed 15 of 27 passes for 140 yards with one interception and one lost fumble. Sam Darnold, who entered the game with an oblique injury designation, completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown for Seattle. Kenneth Walker III led the Seahawks on the ground with 19 carries for 116 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per attempt.

The 49ers were further undermined by turnovers, penalties, and injuries. Tight end Jake Tonges fumbled early and later exited with a foot injury, leaving San Francisco with only Luke Farrell and Brayden Willis available at the position. Rookie safety Marques Sigle was flagged for pass interference that set up a touchdown and missed a tackle on Walker’s 7-yard scoring run before halftime, which put Seattle ahead 24-6.

Yardage-wise, the first half was almost a tie at 151-149 in Seattle’s favor, but the special teams score, costly turnovers, and defensive lapses doomed the 49ers. San Francisco averaged just 3.9 yards per play, and wide receivers combined for only 27 receiving yards. Ricky Pearsall finished without a catch on two targets.

The 49ers will now head into the offseason after an up-and-down season, looking to come back stronger next year.

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