The NFL will officially announce the San Francisco 49ers 2026 schedule Thursday at 5:00pm Pacific Time. Before that release, we have some predictions for what the schedule will look like.
We already have a couple of schedule announcements from the NFL, but that didn’t stop us from squeezing in some predictions for the 49ers’ schedule. Here are four things we think are going to come up Thursday when the 49ers’ entire 17-game regular season slate is announced:
Maxed out in primetime
It would be a stunner if the 49ers aren’t scheduled for the maximum six primetime games when the schedule is released. Not only are they expected to be one of the best teams in the NFC, they have high-profile matchups with the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. With primetime matchups already locked in vs. the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, four more primetime matchups with those teams or an NFC West foe should be easy to find. Our guess is the Chargers, Raiders, Commanders and Seattle Seahawks round out their primetime slate.
An mid-season bye week
The 49ers having a pair of international games makes them primed for a Week 8 or Week 9 bye. They have long travel to and from Australia to start the year, but the Thursday night game vs. the Rams gives them additional time off before Week 2. An early bye wouldn’t make a ton of sense, and making them go to Mexico City without a week off ahead of time seems cruel. A midseason week off should be in the cards for San Francisco with the timing of their pair of international contests.
Raiders on Thursday Night Football
They’re no longer geographic rivals, but the 49ers and Raiders matchups still carry the weight of their long-time Bay Area rivalry. Not to mention the 49ers’ “Faithful to the Bay” slogan is at best an indirect shot at the Raiders for abandoning the city of Oakland. This is a fun interconference matchup that is perfect for Thursday night because the Raiders won’t have to travel far to get to Santa Clara. Short travel should be a requirement for short weeks.
Back-to-back on the East Coast
It’s hard to imagine the NFL forcing the 49ers to play two international games, and also pushing them into two separate cross-country flights. San Francisco is due to visit the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. They generally try to avoid home games in September when the sun over Levi’s Stadium is particularly brutal. A home game after going to Australia, followed by back-to-back road games in Atlanta and New York so they can stay on the East Coast and limit their cross-country travel would make a ton of sense.
More 49ers: 49ers 2026 schedule leaks and announcements tracker
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 4 predictions for 49ers 2026 schedule ahead of schedule release
Reporting by Kyle Madson, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
