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San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs: PFM Team Comparison

PFM rates the Kansas City Chiefs higher than the San Francisco 49ers overall, with a slight advantage. The main reasons are the stronger coaching operation and the stronger defense.

Current PFM Team Scores

SF

San Francisco 49ers

86.8PFM Team Score#4 NFL
Slight edgeKC

Kansas City Chiefs

88.5PFM Team Score#2 NFL
Swap Teams Clear Comparison
PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the Kansas City Chiefs Higher

Andy Reid gives the Kansas City Chiefs the stronger coaching operation. Preparation and in-game answers matter once the opening script no longer controls the game. The San Francisco 49ers are closest in roster strength, where the teams remain essentially even.

Kansas City also brings the stronger defense. Kansas City adds the clearer long-term football direction. The counterargument matters, but it does not erase Kansas City's slight overall advantage.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

San Francisco vs. Kansas City Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

SFSan Francisco 49ers
KCKansas City Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: San Francisco 49ers 85.5, Kansas City Chiefs 87.1, edge KC +1.6; Offense: San Francisco 49ers 85.2, Kansas City Chiefs 83.5, edge SF +1.7; Defense: San Francisco 49ers 82.1, Kansas City Chiefs 84.9, edge KC +2.8; Coaching Direction: San Francisco 49ers 85.0, Kansas City Chiefs 92.6, edge KC +7.6; Roster Depth: San Francisco 49ers 83.8, Kansas City Chiefs 85.0, edge KC +1.2. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
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SAN FRANCISCO’S BEST PUSHBACK

Roster Strength Is San Francisco’s Only Close Fight

San Francisco's roster gives the team one place to push back. The 49ers are only 1.2 points behind Kansas City in Roster Strength, but that is where San Francisco's case ends. Kansas City still has Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Andy Reid leading the coaching staff, two advantages the 49ers cannot match in this comparison.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

SF86.8
San Francisco 49ers 86.8
KC88.5
Kansas City Chiefs 88.5
Slight Kansas City Chiefs edge

Overall NFL Rank

SF#4
San Francisco 49ers #4
KC#2
Kansas City Chiefs #2
Kansas City Chiefs ranks higher

QB Stability

SF85.5
San Francisco 49ers 85.5
KC87.1
Kansas City Chiefs 87.1
Slight Kansas City Chiefs edge

Roster Strength

SF83.8
San Francisco 49ers 83.8
KC85.0
Kansas City Chiefs 85.0
Slight Kansas City Chiefs edge

Coaching Direction

SF85.0
San Francisco 49ers 85.0
KC92.6
Kansas City Chiefs 92.6
Clear Kansas City Chiefs edge

Recent Performance

SF85.2
San Francisco 49ers 85.2
KC78.0
Kansas City Chiefs 78.0
Clear San Francisco 49ers edge

Offense

SF85.2
San Francisco 49ers 85.2
KC83.5
Kansas City Chiefs 83.5
Slight San Francisco 49ers edge

Defense

SF82.1
San Francisco 49ers 82.1
KC84.9
Kansas City Chiefs 84.9
Clear Kansas City Chiefs edge

Franchise Direction

SF75.5
San Francisco 49ers 75.5
KC80.1
Kansas City Chiefs 80.1
Clear Kansas City Chiefs edge

Explosiveness

SF77.7
San Francisco 49ers 77.7
KC80.6
Kansas City Chiefs 80.6
Clear Kansas City Chiefs edge

Conference Rank

SF#3
San Francisco 49ers #3
KC#1
Kansas City Chiefs #1
Kansas City Chiefs ranks higher

Division Rank

SF#3
San Francisco 49ers #3
KC#1
Kansas City Chiefs #1
Kansas City Chiefs ranks higher

Outlook

SFSuper Bowl ContenderKCSuper Bowl Favorite
Stronger outlook: Kansas City Chiefs
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

San Francisco 49ers

Remaining schedule rank: #9

Toughest stretch: Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs

Strongest opponents: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams

Next five difficulty: 80.7

View San Francisco 49ers Road Ahead

Kansas City Chiefs

Remaining schedule rank: #16

Toughest stretch: Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos

Strongest opponents: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers

Next five difficulty: 79.6

View Kansas City Chiefs Road Ahead

San Francisco has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 9. The strongest opponents include Seattle Seahawks, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams. Kansas City also has the more favorable road, which adds to the stronger coaching operation and the stronger defense.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated September 15, 2026. Schedule data updated September 20, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams