When the Los Angeles Rams moved back to California in 2016, had more impact than just the off-the-field economic benefits that many predicted. Throughout the 1980s, the Rams took second place in the NFC West on six different occasions. In all six years, it was the San Francisco 49ers who won the division. With both teams located in California, this was the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants. This was one of the best rivalries in the NFL.
That rivalry remained in place during the early seasons following the Rams’ move to St. Louis. After beating the 49ers early in 1999, that was the moment that the Greatest Show on Turf team knew that they were a legitimate contender. These two teams beating each other meant something.
However, that shifted after the division realignment and as the Rams spent more time in the midwest. By the time the mid-2010s came around, the Seattle Seahawks had grown to be their top division rival. In 2004, the Rams beat the Seahawks three times, including once in the playoffs. The 2010 season ended with a winner take all matchup in which the Charlie Whitehurst-led Seahawks beat the Rams beat the Rams to win the NFC West. With the Seahawks on top, it was Jeff Fisher’s Rams that seemed to be their kryptonite.
Following the move back to Los Angeles, the Rams and 49ers rivalry has rekindled some of the magic that was previously lost. It was the Rams beating the 49ers in the 2021 NFC Championship game that culminated in a Super Bowl win.
All of that is to say that, it’s very difficult for either team and the fanbases to give each other credit. Nobody in the Rams fanbase wants to rate the 49ers highly. Still, after a 6-11 season, the 49ers are a team being overlooked, especially as the Rams enter a season in which they are seen as a top contender.
When looking at the current version of the 49ers, it’s hard not to see a near-perfect reflection of the 2023 Rams. Following the Rams’ Super Bowl season, there was the infamous ‘run it back’ chants during the parade celebrations. The Rams ran it back and things didn’t go as planned to say the least. While they started the season 3-3, they lost nine of their final 11 games after their bye week with injuries and lack of depth being a major factor.
Much of the same can be said about the 49ers of last season. Instead of moving on from unhappy players such as Deebo Samuel, it was clearly a band that no longer wanted to tour together. Add in the fact that they finished second all-time in adjusted games lost at running back due to injury and were also high in adjusted games lost at defensive back, defensive line, linebacker, and wide receiver. They managed to enter their bye week at 4-4 before losing seven of their final nine games.
The Rams ripped off the band-aid in 2023, moving on from players like Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner, Allen Robinson, and Leonard Floyd. Similarly, this offseason, the 49ers traded Samuel and released Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd. They opted not to pay outgoing free agents such as Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and Charvarious Ward. Both teams moved on from problematic or expensive players who weren’t producing with the idea of retooling the roster.
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Rams made three picks inside the top-100 that they could count on to start right away in Steve Avila, Byron Young, and Kobie Turner. The 49ers just made four picks inside the top-100, adding talent to the defensive trenches with Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins. They also replace Greenlaw with Nick Martin. A group that was once old on the defensive line was replenished with two picks inside the top-50.
The parallels are clear.
Both teams didn’t just retool the roster, but also laid a foundation for sustained success. The Rams’ 2023 strategy, with calculated moves in the draft and careful shedding of high-cost veterans, is mirrored by the 49ers’ current approach. By similarly opting to secure young talent while shedding misaligned contracts, both franchises signaled a shift into a new era.
Heading into 2024, the 49ers will be playing a last place schedule that is the easiest in the league and enter the season healthy. They retooled on defense with Robert Saleh as the mastermind behind the operation. With Ricky Pearsall in year two and Christian McCaffrey back, the 49ers’ window is much more open than some may want it to be. Much like the Rams in 2023, the 49ers have doubled down on Brock Purdy, choosing a quarterback that fits what Kyle Shanahan wants from the position.
This is a team that, like the 2023 Rams, has a lack of external expectation. Not much was expected of the Rams in 2023 and the 49ers find themselves in that exact position. Their current line is set at 6.5 wins in 2025. They’ve been written off and with the weight of the pressure lifted, they are built to surprise.
The 49ers took a page from the Rams’ playbook in 2023 from a roster-building standpoint and will be hoping to replicate the success. A big reason for the Rams being able to make an immediate turnaround was the immediate success of their draft picks. For the 49ers to turn it around quickly, they will be hoping for the same.
This isn’t to say that the Rams are overlooking the 49ers by any means. A team led by Sean McVay certainly is not overlooking a Kyle Shanahan-led 49ers. However, the 49ers may be much more of a threat than some want them to be and a big reason for that is the way they’ve gone about retooling the roster which is very similar to what the Rams did in 2023.