Here's a sentence nobody expected to write this season: the 49ers' special teams unit is actually good.

After finishing dead last in special teams in 2024 — a distinction that somehow felt even worse than the stats suggested — San Francisco has pulled off one of the more impressive turnarounds in the league. The unit has gone from a weekly liability to a legitimate weapon, and a lot of the credit goes to special teams coordinator Brant Boyer and kicker Eddy Piñeiro, both of whom have brought the kind of consistency and discipline that was painfully absent last year.

Boyer, who built his reputation turning around special teams units, has clearly installed some accountability in a group that desperately needed it. Piñeiro, meanwhile, has been money — giving the Niners something they haven't had in a while: a kicker you don't hold your breath watching.

But before we start hanging banners, let's pump the brakes slightly. Going from worst to elite is impressive, but the real test is sustainability. Special teams units are notoriously volatile year-to-year because they rely heavily on depth players who rotate in and out of the roster. One injury, one bad snap, one coverage breakdown — and suddenly the vibes shift.

The more immediate question is whether this revamped unit can make a difference where it counts: against a Seattle Seahawks team that always seems to play the Niners tough. Divisional games are won on margins, and special teams is where those margins live. A blocked punt, a big return, a clutch field goal — these are the plays that separate 10-7 from 11-6.

The 49ers front office deserves credit for recognizing that special teams isn't just an afterthought — it's an investment. In a league obsessed with quarterback play and flashy offensive schemes, San Francisco bet that fixing the fundamentals would pay dividends. So far, they're cashing in.

Now prove it against Seattle.