49ers' Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy talk up division rival Seahawks before Super Bowl: 'Hell of a team'

SAN FRANCISCO – The presumption earlier the play was that the Seattle Seahawks would beryllium connected the extracurricular looking successful astatine the Super Bowl, but conscionable astir everyone was wrong.

The team's offseason included a large overhaul, trading distant Geno Smith, signing Sam Darnold, and adjacent letting DK Metcalf spell to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Those moves turned retired to beryllium for the better, arsenic they clinched the NFC's apical effect with a 14-3 grounds and are present 1 triumph distant from their archetypal rubric successful 12 years.

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Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by Nick Emmanwori of the Seattle Seahawks during the 2nd 4th successful the NFC Divisional Playoff crippled astatine Lumen Field connected Jan. 17, 2026, successful Seattle, Washington. (Harry How/Getty Images)

The Seahawks dismantled their part rival, the San Francisco 49ers, successful Week 18 to clinch the apical effect and past did truthful again 2 weeks aboriginal successful the divisional round.

"They're a hellhole of a team. You know, they bushed america successful some those games. They decidedly had our fig successful some those games. We had to play better, we needed to bounds our mistakes," Christian McCaffrey told Fox News Digital connected Radio Row.

"They're a truly well-coached team. Obviously, they got endowment crossed the board, their defence is good, Sam starring the discourtesy with Klint Kubiak," added Brock Purdy. "They've done a truly bully job, man. They've earned it. They're a squad that we person to evidently beryllium acceptable for each azygous week, oregon each clip we play them. Across the board, a truly bully team."

Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers is pressured by DeMarcus Lawrence of the Seattle Seahawks during the 2nd 4th successful the NFC Divisional Playoff crippled astatine Lumen Field connected Jan. 17, 2026, successful Seattle, Washington.   (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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McCaffrey, though, said the Niners weren't precisely fixed the payment of the uncertainty against the juggernaut with immoderate docket craziness.

"I don't privation to marque excuses, but the NFL did enactment america connected 3 abbreviated weeks astatine the extremity of a play erstwhile we had a Week 14 bye. So they didn't bash america immoderate favors successful that," McCaffrey said. "When you person truthful galore injuries and you're benignant of decimated already, and past you enactment a squad similar that connected abbreviated weeks, it makes it much challenging.

"But astatine the aforesaid time, those guys bushed us, they bushed america successful each facet of the game. And if we privation to win, we got to play better. Simple arsenic that."

Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards portion catching 119 passes, 10 for touchdowns. Darnold besides became the lone backmost to triumph 14 oregon much games for 2 antithetic teams successful back-to-back seasons.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks successful enactment during the NFL 2025 crippled betwixt Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers astatine Levi's Stadium connected Jan. 3, 2026, successful Santa Clara, California.  (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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They'll look the New England Patriots successful Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium, wherever McCaffrey and Purdy telephone home, connected Sunday.

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