While the teams first met in 1976, the rivalry did not develop until the early 2000s, specifically in 2002, when the Seahawks were placed with the 49ers in the NFC West, allowing for two annual meetings between the teams.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
The Seahawks lead the overall series, 31–23. The two teams have met twice in the playoffs, winning one each.[1]
History
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers (final score 34–0), September 26, 2004
Since the teams became NFC West division rivals in 2002, the rivalry has grown considerably.[2] The rivalry was previously insignificant, due to both teams having little history against one another and both suffering long stretches of mediocrity. For example, while the Seahawks won four straight division titles from 2004 to 2007, the 49ers finished in third or fourth place each season and did not have a winning season from 2003 to 2010. Likewise, the Seahawks suffered four straight losing seasons from 2008 to 2011. Despite their stretch of mediocrity, the Seahawks have remained competitive in games against the 49ers in those years.
"It don't get much better than the 49ers...it felt like a Super Bowl when we were playing during that time."
The rivalry intensified in 2011, when long-standing college rival coaches—former USC coach Pete Carroll and former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh—took over as head coaches, with Carroll becoming the Seahawks' coach in 2010, and Harbaugh becoming the 49ers coach in 2011. Both teams drafted young, mobile quarterbacks to lead their franchises, Seattle's Russell Wilson and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick.[10] Both coaches turned their respective franchises into perennial playoff contenders, and from 2010 to 2014, either the Seahawks or the 49ers won the NFC West championship.
The two teams met in the 2013 NFC Championship Game in Seattle with a trip to Super Bowl XLVIII on the line, with the Seahawks winning 23–17. The game ended when Seahawks' cornerbackRichard Sherman, whom Harbaugh previously coached at Stanford, tipped an end zone pass that led to a game-ending interception. Sherman had his famous postgame interview immediately afterwards, calling out 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree and claiming to be the "best corner in the game".[11] Seattle went on to defeat the Denver Broncos 43–8 in Super Bowl XLVIII to win their first Super Bowl championship.[12] San Francisco had represented the NFC in a losing effort in Super Bowl XLVII the previous season. In 2018, Richard Sherman joined San Francisco and took them to Super Bowl LIV while coming a quarter short sparked the rivalry for a short while then it died down again.
The Seahawks lead the all-time series 31–23. After drafting Russell Wilson in 2012, the Seahawks dominated the rivalry, holding a 17–4 record against the 49ers before Wilson's departure in early 2022. After Wilson's departure, the 49ers turned the rivalry around, winning six in a row, which is the longest win streak for the 49ers against the Seahawks, before the Seahawks ended the streak with a 20–17 victory on 17 November 2024, which in turn came courtesy of a Geno Smith rushing touchdown.
Season-by-season results
San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks Season-by-Season Results[1]
During the NFL realignment, Seahawks are moved back to the National Football Conference (NFC) and the NFC West, resulting in two meetings annually with the 49ers. Seahawks open Seahawks Stadium (now known as Lumen Field). In Seattle, a notable moment occurred when WR Terrell Owens scored the game-winning touchdown, then signed the ball with a Sharpie he had in his sock. In San Francisco, Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck threw for 427 passing yards, setting a franchise record for most passing yards in a game (broken later in the season).
In Seattle, 49ers get shut out for the first time since the 1977 season. Midway through the season, former 49ers WR Jerry Rice is traded to the Seahawks.
In Seattle, Seahawks record their largest victory against the 49ers with a 38–point differential and win all of their division games for the first time in franchise history with their win. Seahawks lose Super Bowl XL.
Former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman signs with 49ers. In Seattle, Seahawks record their most points in a game against the 49ers. Seahawks win 10 straight games (2014–2018) and 8 straight at home (2012–2018).
In Seattle, 49ers clinched their NFC West and swept the Seahawks for the first time since the 2011 season, and swept the NFC West for the first time since the 1997 season with their win.
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