SANTA CLARA – The 49ers’ schedule is so easy that …
a.) No team has a softer collection of opponents based on both last season’s records (.415 winning percentage) and this season’s projected win totals in Vegas sportsbooks (7.7 wins per team).
b.) The 49ers open with back-to-back road games, which is how their 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl seasons began under coach Kyle Shanahan, as did the 2021 team that came within mere minutes of another NFC crown.
c.) Five 10 a.m. PT kickoffs on the road are offset by five prime-time games, including their lone Thursday night affair that involves only a short trip on short rest to the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 2.
d.) The NFL even extended the courtesy of putting Super Bowl LX on the 49ers’ home field, Levi’s Stadium.
OK, that last item was predetermined years ago, and this season’s opponents have been set for months, but it’s not too presumptuous to think the 49ers’ 2025 reboot could lift them from the NFC West cellar and back into playoff contention.
They’ll be road warriors early with six away games in the first nine weeks, all in back-to-back sets – at Seattle and New Orleans in Weeks 1 and 2; at Los Angeles and Tampa Bay in Weeks 5 and 6; at Houston and the New York Giants in Weeks 8 and 9.
After three straight seasons of their bye falling in Week 9, this season’s won’t be until Week 14, on Dec. 7. They won’t play on Thanksgiving or Christmas, and three of the final four games are at home, finishing there with Seattle on either Jan. 3 or 4.
Prime-time kickoffs are set for their games at the Rams (Thursday, Oct. 2) and Indianapolis Colts (Monday, Dec. 28), and at home against the Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, Oct. 19), Carolina Panthers (Monday, Nov. 24), and Chicago Bears (Sunday, Dec. 28).
Here is a game-by-game look (all times PT):
WEEK 1: Sunday, Sept. 7
at Seattle Seahawks (1:05 p.m., FOX)
The 49ers’ only other season opener in Seattle came 15 years ago, a 31-6 defeat under then-coach Mike Singletary. These aren’t the same Seahawks who’ve lost their last three home games to the 49ers since 2022. Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp have taken the place of Geno Smith, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
WEEK 2: Sunday, Sept. 14
at New Orleans Saints (10 a.m., FOX)
Which quarterback will the 49ers oppose now that Derek Carr has retired – Danville’s own Jake Haener, second-year prospect Spencer Rattler, rookie Tyler Shough … or Aaron Rodgers? Maybe George Kittle can reenact his fourth-down heroics in the 49ers Faithful’s victorious 2019 takeover there.
WEEK 3: Sunday, Sept. 21
vs. Arizona Cardinals (1:25 p.m., FOX)
The Cardinals are 5-3 at Levi’s Stadium in the Shanahan era, including a 24-23 win last October that saw the 49ers shut out after halftime and blow a 10-point fourth quarter lead in the hottest game ever at Levi’s Stadium (89 degrees at kickoff, eventually reaching 100).
WEEK 4: Sunday, Sept. 28
vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1:05 p.m. FOX)
After ousting ex-49ers personnel czar Trent Baalke from their general manager role, they traded up to draft dual threat Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall. Last season’s No. 2 quarterback, Mac Jones, is now the 49ers’ No. 2.
WEEK 5: Thursday, Oct. 2
at Los Angeles Rams (5:15 p.m., Prime Video)
The 49ers look to reclaim SoFi Stadium as friendly territory, having lost their first regular-season game there last season via special teams snafus and Kyren Williams’ three touchdowns. This is the only Thursday night game on the schedule, though they could get flexed into another later this season.
WEEK 6: Sunday, Oct. 12
at Tampa Bay Bucs (10 a.m., CBS)
Good luck topping the drama of last Nov. 10, when the 49ers won on a walk-off field goal by Jake Moody, who was told off earlier by Deebo Samuel after missing his first three field-goal attempts. The Bucs are one of three 2024 playoff teams on the 49ers’ schedule; the Rams and the Houston Texans are the other two.
WEEK 7: Sunday, Oct. 19
vs. Atlanta Falcons (5:20 p.m., NBC)
Washington product Michael Penix returns to the West Coast, presumably as the starter ahead of Shanahan favorite Kirk Cousins. Raheem Morris and new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich bolstered their pass rush with first-round picks Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
WEEK 8: Sunday, Oct. 26
at Houston Texans (noon, FOX)
The NFC West 49ers visit the AFC South 49ers? Reunion vibes will be strong as the Texans boast ex-49ers DeMeco Ryans (coach), linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, safety Jimmie Ward, guard Laken Tomlinson and offensive tackle Trent Brown (cousin of 49ers rookie Alfred Collins). Last time here, Jimmy Garoppolo delivered his second straight road win upon taking over as the 49ers’ quarterback in December 2017.
WEEK 9: Sunday, Nov. 2
at New York Giants (10 a.m., CBS)
The New York City marathon is being run this day, so perhaps Christian McCaffrey runs 26.2 miles through the Giants’ defense across the river at MetLife Stadium, where the turf has been replaced since the 49ers’ injury-marred 2020 visit. As this storied rivalry resumes, the Giants will play host with a pair of first-round draft picks, defensive end Abdul Carter (No. 3 overall) and quarterback Jaxson Dart (No. 25).
WEEK 10: Sunday, Nov. 9
vs. Los Angeles Rams (1:25 p.m., FOX)
They’re the reigning NFC West champions for the fourth time over coach Sean McVay’s eight seasons. The 49ers have won the division three times in that span under Shanahan, who also arrived in 2017.
WEEK 11: Sunday, Nov. 16
at Arizona Cardinals (1:05 p.m., FOX)
Yes, last regular season’s finale saw the host Cardinals bait Jauan Jennings into getting ejected 25 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season, but they also saw Kyler Murray pump four touchdown passes in a 47-24 rout.
WEEK 12: Monday, Nov. 24
vs. Carolina Panthers (5:15 p.m., ESPN)
The 49ers have never scored more in Shanahan’s eight seasons than the 51-13 win they pinned on the Panthers in their previous visit, in October 2019, when then-rookie Nick Bosa had three sacks and an interception.
WEEK 13: Sunday, Nov. 30
at Cleveland Browns (10 a.m., CBS)
The 49ers have not won in Cleveland since their 1984 Super Bowl season. Their fourth straight losing visit came in October 2023, once Jake Moody missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds to spoil the season’s 5-0 start.
WEEK 14: Sunday, Dec. 7
BYE
This is their latest regular-season bye in franchise history, although they had a Week 13 bye in 2000.
WEEK 15: Sunday, Dec. 14
vs. Tennessee Titans (1:25 p.m., FOX)
How quickly can top-pick quarterback Cam Ward get up to speed under Brian Callahan, a De La Salle High-Concord graduate making his Bay Area debut as the Titans’ second-year coach?
WEEK 16: Monday, Dec. 22
at Indianapolis Colts (5:15 p.m., ESPN)
Flash back to the last time the 49ers won in Indianapolis, when coach Steve Mariucci’s counterpart, Jim Mora, famously said after the Colts’ 40-21 loss: “Playoffs?! Don’t talk about playoffs. You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game.”
WEEK 17: Sunday, Dec. 28
vs. Chicago Bears (5:20 p.m., NBC)
Caleb Williams, after a rough rookie year, will be tougher to topple behind a fortified offensive line and a slew of skill-position players, including tight end Colston Loveland, a first-round pick. That assumes everybody is healthy this late in the season. The Bears may have prevailed in Levi’s Stadium’s 2014 grand opening, but they also were the only team the 49ers beat in the final two months of last season.
WEEK 18: Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 3 or 4
vs. Seattle Seahawks (TBD)
Geno Smith won’t be rushing past DeVondre Campbell for a last-second score this time at Levi’s Stadium. And Dre Greenlaw won’t be in the 49ers’ defense making a goal-line stop to preserve a crucial win like in 2019 at Seattle. Did you know the Seahawks have never been shut out in this 54-game series?
PRESEASON
Aug. 7-10: vs. Denver Broncos
Aug. 14-18: at Las Vegas Raiders
Aug. 21-24: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
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