San Francisco 49ers play-action rate, 2026
28.1%
9th of 32 in the NFL
- 23.8%
- On 89 dropbacks through Week 3
How often do the 49ers use play-action?
The 49ers have faked a handoff on 28.1% of their dropbacks through Week 3, 9th in the NFL.
Week by week
| Through | PA% | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 22.2% | 15th |
| Week 2 | 34.4% | 3rd |
| Week 3 | 28.1% | 9th |
Last season
Up from 22.3% in 2025, which ranked 21st of 32.
From the 49ers weekly
Third and twelve at the San Francisco eighteen, eight forty left in the first quarter, nothing to nothing. Brock Purdy threw short left to Mike Evans, Evans took it two yards to the twenty and lateraled to Deebo Samuel, and Samuel went the other eighty for the touchdown. By expected points added, what a snap was worth given the down, the distance and the field position, measured against what that situation was already worth, it was plus seven point seven. It moved win probability, the model's read on each team's chance of winning at that moment, by twenty points, more than any other snap in the game. San Francisco led from that play to the final whistle and beat the Cardinals thirty-six to thirty at home to go three and oh. After it, Arizona's chance of winning never rose above about thirty-one percent.
Read the Week 3 note →Which offenses use the most play-action in 2026?
Kansas City Chiefs (37.6%), Detroit Lions (34.7%), then Seattle Seahawks (34.7%) lead the league. All 32 teams on the Play-Action Rate board.
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