The San Francisco 49ers are back at Levi’s Stadium. But this time, it is not just another Saturday night in the Bay Area. Instead, it feels like January football arriving early, with the NFC West hanging in the balance. And Kyle Shanahan wants to treat Week 18 like January football.

“The season’s not over if you lose, but you still got to go play a game the next week on the road if you lose, and you can completely avoid that by winning. So I see this as a playoff game too,” Shanahan said about this game.

That message is clear: the stakes are massive. On one side, a win locks up the NFC West crown and the No. 1 seed. Add a first-round bye, with a home-field advantage through the playoffs.

On the other side, a loss sends you packing as a wildcard. That road is long, and it offers zero margin, even after double-digit wins.

Meanwhile, both teams arrive scorching hot. Each rides a six-game win streak. That is the longest active run in the NFC. Interestingly, the Rams remain the only team to touch either since early November. San Francisco has turned into an offensive machine, leading the league in points during that stretch. Seattle, though, fights back with the NFL’s second-best scoring defense.

However, recent history leans towards the 49ers. They took the opener 17–13 at Lumen Field. They have also won seven of the last eight meetings overall. Still, before kickoff, San Francisco will also keep a close eye on the injury update ahead of the showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.

Kyle Shanahan provides updates on injuries

After Thursday’s practice, San Francisco dropped its final injury report. Tight end George Kittle and wideout Ricky Pearsall stayed limited all week. Still, they stayed involved. More importantly, Kyle Shanahan made it clear why availability matters now.

“The more good players you have out there, everyone knows Kittle’s a great player,” Shanahan said. “We’re going against a great defense, a great team. So, it’s definitely huge to have everyone on board who is capable of it.”

That tone set the mood in the locker room. Meanwhile, the defense had layers of its own.

Corner Upton Stout went full on Thursday but still waits on final clearance in the concussion protocol. Up front, Keion White returned in a limited role after missing early work. As for Trent Williams, the All-Pro tackle stayed sidelined. Yet there was progress. He tested his hamstring in a controlled way, which matters heading into this stage.

“I think he’s made good progress,” Shanahan said.

He then laid out the plan clearly.

“If the doctors okay it and Trent believes he can do it and get through it, then there’s no decision on my part; we’ll definitely have him up.”

Offensively, things trended up. Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk eased in midweek. Then both went full by Thursday. Shanahan explained the caution, pointing to the grind of short weeks. On the back end, Renardo Green checked every box. He practiced fully all week and carries no label into the game.

“We monitored our whole team,” Shanahan said. “This was just something we needed to do for a number of those guys… being three games in 13 days.”

So, the Niners carry a few scars. The question is simple. How will they respond when it matters most?