49ers vs Las Vegas Raiders Match Player Stats: 2026 Preseason Preview

The Storyline You Can’t Ignore

The 49ers vs Las Vegas Raiders match player stats conversation has a new wrinkle in 2026 that makes this preseason game genuinely worth watching. San Francisco arrives at Allegiant Stadium on August 27 as a team on the edge of a Super Bowl window — healthy, retooled, and motivated after an injury-wrecked 2025 season derailed their title hopes. Meanwhile, the Raiders are in full rebuild mode around No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, making this matchup a clash of two franchises at opposite ends of the urgency spectrum.

Quick Note: The 49ers vs Las Vegas Raiders game kicks off Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. It is San Francisco’s final preseason game before the 53-man roster cutdown deadline on August 30.

Key Takeaways

Three Things That Matter Most in This Matchup:

• Brock Purdy’s health and chemistry with Mike Evans are the central story for the 49ers. After missing eight games in 2025 with shoulder and toe injuries, Purdy (20 TDs, 2,167 passing yards in just 9 starts) enters 2026 with a bonafide No. 1 receiver for the first time.
• Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza’s quarterback reps define the Raiders’ storyline. Cousins is expected to open the preseason as starter while No. 1 pick Mendoza — a Heisman Trophy winner out of Indiana — waits in the wings. The passing yards and decision-making of both will be scrutinized.
• The 49ers’ defense, led by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, will look to shake off injury rust. San Francisco recorded four sacks in a prior preseason meeting against Las Vegas and will target Cousins and Mendoza early to establish their identity.

Game Box Score Preview: Key Player Stats to Watch

Stats reflect the 2025 NFL regular season. Preseason game stats will be updated post-game.

Quarterback Battle and Passing Yards: Purdy vs. Cousins vs. Mendoza

This is the most layered quarterback situation this preseason matchup has seen in years.

On the San Francisco side, Brock Purdy enters 2026 fully healthy and hungry. His 2025 campaign was fractured by injury — he managed just nine starts — but when he played, the numbers held up. He posted a 100.5 passer rating and threw 20 touchdown passes with a top-five PFF grade of 90.0 overall. The biggest upgrade around him is new wide receiver Mike Evans, a 12-time 1,000-yard receiver who gives Purdy a legitimate jump-ball weapon outside the numbers for the first time in his career.

For Las Vegas, head coach Klint Kubiak has named veteran Kirk Cousins the Week 1 starter, while No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza — the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback out of Indiana — is expected to play into the second quarter and beyond. Mendoza completed 68.6% of his college passes for 8,247 yards, 71 touchdowns, and just 22 interceptions across 36 career college games. This preseason is the first professional stage where NFL scouts and coaches can evaluate his processing speed under live fire.

What to watch for:

• Purdy-Evans connection on intermediate and vertical routes — this is the dimension San Francisco’s passing game lacked in 2025
• Mendoza’s pocket presence and quick-release accuracy against NFL-caliber defensive sacks pressure
• Cousins’ ability to operate Kubiak’s new system efficiently without turning the ball over

49ers’ Offensive Firepower: Player Stats That Demand Respect

Kyle Shanahan’s offense has rarely lacked talent at the skill positions. In 2026, the roster is arguably deeper at receiver than it has been since 2023.

San Francisco’s receiving corps heading into preseason:

• Mike Evans — 12 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before injuries limited him in 2025; signed a 3-year deal worth roughly $14.13M/year AAV; gives Purdy the contested-catch threat he’s needed
• Ricky Pearsall — second-year breakout candidate who flashed real chemistry with Purdy in OTAs; connected for gains of 7, 14, and 21 yards on the opening drive of their last preseason appearance
• Christian Kirk — veteran slot presence signed in free agency; adds reliability on third downs
• De’Zhaun Stribling — second-round rookie who brings additional vertical speed

The 49ers also get tight end George Kittle back after his 2025 Achilles injury, though his preseason availability will be managed carefully. If Kittle is even partially available, Purdy’s red-zone efficiency — historically among the best in the NFL — gets an immediate boost.

On the ground, Christian McCaffrey remains the offense’s heartbeat. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry during San Francisco’s dominant Week 16 win over Indianapolis in 2025. Shanahan’s rushing game sets up everything else, and McCaffrey’s ability to function as both a rushing leader and a receiver out of the backfield makes Las Vegas’s defensive coordinators plan for him on every single snap.

Las Vegas Raiders Roster: The Rebuild Is Real

The Raiders are transparent about where they are in their organizational cycle. First-year GM John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak inherited a roster that went through a turbulent stretch of coaching changes, and they’re setting the table for Fernando Mendoza’s long-term development.

Raiders’ key players and player stats to monitor:

• Brock Bowers (TE) — Despite a knee injury limiting him to 12 games in 2025, Bowers posted a 64-680-7 receiving line and earned his second Pro Bowl. His PFF receiving grade of 82.2 ranked fifth among all tight ends. He is comfortably Las Vegas’s most important offensive player and the focal point of any Cousins or Mendoza-led drive.
• Ashton Jeanty (RB) — The 2025 rookie rushed for nearly 1,000 yards despite an offensive line in transition. In Year 2 under Kubiak, who wants Jeanty to be a bell-cow back, the rushing leaders leaderboard could have a new name if the Raiders’ blocking improves.
• Maxx Crosby (DE) — Still among the best pass rushers in football. He’ll rotate in limited snaps during the preseason, but his presence sets the standard for the Raiders’ defense sacks culture.
• Kirk Cousins (QB) — After multiple serious injuries (Achilles, shoulder) over the past three years, Cousins brings veteran leadership and familiarity with Kubiak’s system. He’s fully healthy heading into camp at 37 years old.

Defense Sacks and Rushing Leaders: The Battle Up Front

San Francisco’s defensive line is a different animal when healthy. When Bosa is right, this defense regularly leads the NFL in pressure rate and quarterback hits.

The Raiders present a legitimate challenge at tackle with their rebuilt offensive line. Right tackle DJ Glaze is a question mark heading into camp, and the interior is still finding its footing. This is exactly the kind of preseason environment where Bosa and Williams can get quality reps against a live offensive line fighting for roster spots.

Defensive metrics from the 2025 season:

Las Vegas heavily invested in their secondary this offseason through four draft picks and a former All-Pro free agent acquisition. Those young defensive backs will face immediate tests against Purdy and Evans — a matchup that could reveal a great deal about the Raiders’ cornerback depth heading into the regular season.

Preseason Format: What the Box Score Won’t Tell You

Preseason games are information-gathering exercises, not win-or-lose events. Kyle Shanahan will play his starters for a limited number of snaps — likely one to two series — before handing the offense to backup Joshua Jones or developmental quarterbacks. The same applies to Kubiak on the Las Vegas side with Cousins.

The real game within the game:

• Fringe roster players fighting for the final spots on the 53-man rosters (deadline: August 30)
• Offensive linemen evaluating their footwork and communication against live edge rushers
• Young defensive backs getting their first preseason action against NFL-caliber receivers
• Special teams personnel establishing their roles before the final cuts

This is the last preseason look either team gets before rosters must be finalized, which means coaching staffs will be watching every snap with genuine stakes — even if the game score itself doesn’t carry weight.

The Brock Purdy-Mike Evans Connection: A Season-Defining Partnership?

No positional pairing in this matchup carries more intrigue heading into 2026 than Purdy and Evans.

Evans brings 12 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to San Francisco — the longest active streak in NFL history at the time of his signing. At 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, he gives Purdy a contested-catch receiver who can shield defenders and win at the catch point in ways the 49ers simply have not had. Purdy himself finished fourth among quarterbacks in adjusted deep-ball efficiency in 2025. Add Evans’s vertical ability to that number, and San Francisco’s downfield passing game has a new ceiling.

Purdy’s reaction to the Evans signing — caught mid-workout at George Kittle’s Nashville gym when the news broke — captured the offense’s energy heading into this season. “I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,'” Purdy said.

In the preseason, expect the coaching staff to script a handful of target concepts specifically designed to highlight Evans as a red-zone and go-route option. Even a two-series audition for this partnership will tell the league something important.

49ers Standing and Playoff Trajectory Heading Into 2026

San Francisco’s 49ers standings heading into the 2026 season reflect a team that overachieved in health-depleted circumstances. They finished their 2025 campaign at 10-7 and reached the NFC Divisional Round before a 41-6 loss to Seattle exposed the limits of a banged-up roster.

The 2026 regular season begins September 10 against the Los Angeles Rams (in Melbourne, Australia — the first time an NFL game has been played there). San Francisco will also face the Raiders again in the regular season on November 8 at Levi’s Stadium, giving this preseason opener added meaning as an early scouting session.

San Francisco’s 2026 key regular season dates:

• Sept. 10: vs. Los Angeles Rams (Melbourne, Australia)
• Sept. 20: home vs. Miami Dolphins
• Oct. 4: home vs. Denver Broncos
• Nov. 8: home vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Future Outlook: What This Preseason Reveals About Both Franchises

The data points toward two very different 2026 trajectories.

For the 49ers, the path to the NFC Championship Game runs through health. Purdy, Bosa, Warner, Kittle, and McCaffrey have each proven capable of elite performance when available. If Shanahan gets his full roster for 16-plus games, San Francisco’s offensive and defensive efficiency numbers should climb back to 2023 levels — when they led the NFL in passer rating. The addition of Evans gives Purdy a safety valve in red-zone situations that previously required Kittle to do too much.

For the Raiders, the objective is managed development. Kirk Cousins buys the organization time to determine whether Fernando Mendoza is ready to take over mid-season or if patience through the full year serves the franchise better. If Ashton Jeanty develops into the bell-cow back Kubiak envisions, Las Vegas has the bones of a dangerous offense in 2027 and beyond.

The August 27 preseason game is not a referendum on either franchise’s ultimate ceiling — but the player stats, the depth chart decisions, and the injury reports coming out of Allegiant Stadium will sharpen the picture considerably.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the 49ers play the Raiders in 2026?

The San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders meet twice in 2026. The preseason game is August 27 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at 5:00 p.m. PT, and they play again in the regular season on November 8 at Levi’s Stadium.

What are Brock Purdy’s player stats heading into 2026?

In the injury-shortened 2025 season, Purdy posted 2,167 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in nine starts, with a 100.5 passer rating. He earned a 90.0 overall PFF grade, ranking fourth among all qualified quarterbacks.

Who is the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2026?

However, No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza — the Heisman Trophy winner out of Indiana — will compete for playing time through the preseason and could take over the starting role during the regular season.

What are Brock Bowers’ career stats with the Raiders?

Through two NFL seasons, Bowers has 176 career receptions for 1,874 receiving yards and 12 touchdown catches. His 2024 rookie season set NFL records for most receptions (112) and most receiving yards (1,194) by a rookie tight end. A knee injury limited him to 12 games and a 64-680-7 line in 2025.

Who are the rushing leaders for the 49ers and Raiders in 2026?

Christian McCaffrey leads San Francisco’s ground game, averaging 5.6 yards per carry in key 2025 appearances. For Las Vegas, second-year back Ashton Jeanty — who nearly hit 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie despite offensive line struggles — is expected to take on a larger bell-cow role under head coach Klint Kubiak.

How do the 49ers’ 2026 standings look after the 2025 season?

San Francisco finished 10-7 in the 2025 regular season, won an NFC Wild Card game over Philadelphia (23-19), and lost in the Divisional Round to Seattle (41-6). They enter 2026 as a legitimate NFC title contender, particularly if Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa remain healthy.

Who Wins the Preseason — and Who Wins November?

The August 27 game at Allegiant Stadium is worth watching not for the final score, but for the questions it answers. Does Mike Evans make an immediate impact in his first snaps as a 49er? Does Fernando Mendoza’s first NFL action confirm the hype? Does Brock Bowers look like his explosive 2024 self after the knee rehab?

The 49ers enter with more proven talent and a clearer path to the NFC title game. The Raiders enter with the most interesting quarterback room in football and a young core that could make them genuinely dangerous by 2027.

Both teams face each other again on November 8. The preseason is just the first chapter.

Who do you think has the edge in November — Brock Purdy and the veteran 49ers, or Fernando Mendoza and the Raiders’ rebuild? Drop your take below.