For the first time since Super Bowl LVIII, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will square off on the big stage. This weekend’s matchup is one of the premier games on the Sunday slate, and it’ll surely live up to the hype.
Both clubs’ seasons have taken different turns to start off. Andy Reid’s squad got off to a five-game winning streak heading into the bye week, whereas Kyle Shanahan and company are an even .500 through six games. Despite that 3-3 record, the 49ers figure to be in the contender conversation for the rest of the season. A win is desperately needed, although the Chiefs are proving to be one of the NFL’s toughest outs so far.
How will the game unfold? The Kansas City Chiefs On SI crew makes its predictions for Week 7 of the 2024-25 campaign.
Joshua Brisco: This is perhaps the least convinced I’ve been of a pending Chiefs victory this season, but even as KC deals with plenty of legitimate issues, the results of past Chiefs vs. 49ers matchups aren’t all flukes. Steve Spagnuolo has continually gotten the better of Kyle Shanahan’s offenses, and while it will be more difficult without Mike Danna on the defensive line, I’m betting on the Chiefs’ defense continuing to prove its legitimacy despite a very solid start to the year from quarterback Brock Purdy. I think the Chiefs narrowly win a low-scoring game.
Prediction: Chiefs 20, 49ers 17
Jordan Foote: This truly does seem like the toughest Chiefs game to pick so far, even with the post-bye boost that Andy Reid-led teams have traditionally had. In my Week 7 preview, I highlighted how the 49ers’ offense is still one of the more difficult units to stop despite Christian McCaffrey not being on the field. The Nick Sorensen defense is another story, but this will be a huge measuring stick outing. Brock Purdy is a very good quarterback and should have success against a strong Kansas City defense but in the end, I’m rolling with the Chiefs to maximize their opportunities more. The wide receiver group is the collective to keep an eye on in this one.
Prediction: Chiefs 27, 49ers 23
Zack Eisen: It’s a Super Bowl rematch, but I’m closely watching a player who didn’t play in that game: Xavier Worthy. The Chiefs’ coaching staff got two weeks to assess the current situation at the wide receiver position. How do they get Worthy involved as he becomes the WR1 in this offense? Patrick Mahomes has talked about how it will be done by committee and how the leading receiver will be different every week. However, it’d be best if the first-round pick could step up. We know he’s fast and can stretch the field deep. Now let’s see the route-running chops in other areas of the field that he showed in college.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, 49ers 16
Mark Van Sickle: The Chiefs seem to always get the best of the 49ers whenever they play in recent years. They tend to dig themselves into an early hole only to find an escape. They have never lost to the Niners with Mahomes as the starter. Couple that with Andy Reid coming off a bye, and this sets the Chiefs up with a good chance to pick up another W. The defense remains an underrated part of this team despite being fairly dominant the past season and a half. Another solid performance from that side of the ball mixed in with some Mahomes magic, and the Chiefs will come away with the win.