Few rivalries in football history carry as much West Coast animosity as the one between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. It all began in 1950 as a simple divisional matchup, but over the years, it has grown into a fierce clash of pride and identity. Or, to put it simply, this rivalry embodies NorCal grit versus SoCal glamor.
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That said, while there was a lull in this storied feud for a while, recent years have reignited it in full force. The spark came when the Rams relocated back to Los Angeles in 2016, restoring the California divide, and their early dominance under Sean McVay in 2017-18 rekindled San Francisco’s hunger.
Since then, the two franchises have battled for division crowns, NFC titles, and Super Bowl appearances. During this period, Sean McVay’s Rams famously edged Shanahan’s 49ers in the 2021 NFC Championship before lifting the Super Bowl LVI trophy, though Shanahan still holds an 11-7 head-to-head lead.
Heading into Week 10 of the 2025 season, the 49ers lead the all-time series 79-71-3. Now, as both teams meet again, with the Rams at 6-2 and the 49ers at 6-3, there’s no shortage of pre-game heat. Especially from George Kittle, for whom there’s never been any love lost.
Speaking to NBC this week, the 49ers TE made it clear that his disdain for the Rams isn’t born out of recent matchups but out of respect for how hard they’ve been to beat since his first day in the league.
“I don’t know, Rams Week is just [intense] because when I first got in the league, they were the best team in the division, easily. We lost our first four games to them or something like that. And so, it just always made me want to beat them,” Kittle said.
This frustration, he says, became something deeper … a personal challenge.
“Every single time I ever play them, I always want to beat them. I don’t know if it’s Sean McVay and how he memorizes everything, if that pisses me off, but there’s just something about the Rams that makes me want to always have a good game against them. It probably started in 2019,” he added.
For his part, Kittle has been a constant thorn in the Rams’ side, delivering some of his most dominant performances in these matchups. And according to the 49ers star, the secret to performing well against the Rams boils down to the attitude.
“The only way to beat these guys, because they’re always athletic, they’re always talented, they always got a great scheme and offense, is to mentally say- ‘Screw it. I’m going to be really violent and physical today,’” Kittle explained.
George Kittle on how his rivalry with the Rams started:
“I don’t know, Rams Week is just because when I first got in the league, they were the best team in the division, easily, and I think we lost our first four games to them or something like that, or three games to them. And… pic.twitter.com/sYqJgRyjYh
— Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) November 8, 2025
Coming back to the matchup, with both teams sitting near the top of the NFC West alongside Seattle, a win today could tilt the balance of the division.
The Rams are entering the contest, riding a three-game win streak, thanks to Matthew Stafford’s MVP-level form and a defense that hasn’t allowed more than 10 points in three straight outings. The 49ers, meanwhile, continue to fight through injuries but remain anchored by one of the league’s toughest rosters.
But for Kittle, playoff permutations and stat sheets take the backseat because when it’s Rams Week, it’s personal. After all, how often do you hear a veteran like Kittle vowing to “be really violent and physical” against an opponent?
