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(Jan 17, 2026 · Week 20)

As rookies work to get acclimated to the NFL rigors, there’s always the hope that at some point, everything clicks, and game-changing plays become consistent; for San Francisco’s CJ West, that moment unquestionably arrived during the season’s home stretch. The 49ers’ powerful fourth-rounder carried his end-of-regular-season momentum into the postseason perfectly, the high point arriving on a ferocious up-the-middle rush that allowed him to engulf Seattle’s quarterback for an eight-yard sack. The Seahawks’ 41-6 victory on Jan. 17 ,2026 became the top-fold story, but West’s progression — and two-tackle, one-sack showcase — were footnotes in the still-developing story of the Niners’ youthful pass rushing group.

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