Tag: 49ers schedule

Best version of 49ers season ends with unlikely Super Bowl win

Here’s what the most optimistic version of the 49ers’ season looks like:

It’s not hard to paint an optimistic picture about the San Francisco 49ers’ 2024 season.

They enter the year with the best roster in football. They’ll be almost fully intact by Week 1, and they return most of the group that won the No. 1 seed in the NFC en route to a Super Bowl trip last season. If things go according to plan, this is the year San Francisco ends its 30-year Super Bowl drought and become only the fourth team ever to lose a Super Bowl, then win it the following year. They’d join the 1971 Dallas Cowboys, 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2018 New England Patriots to do so.

So, what does the most optimistic view look like?

Quarterback Brock Purdy will be entering his second full year as a starter. He’s also coming off a full offseason where he didn’t have to rehab his surgically-repaired throwing elbow. Considering he finished fourth in MVP voting last season, the arrow is pointing up for the signal caller in 2024.

If Purdy is better, the 49ers offense is going to reach an unstoppable level. San Francisco already boasts playmakers like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. Sprinkling in a quarterback who makes more individually great plays outside the context of his playmakers would make head coach Kyle Shanahan’s group a juggernaut.

A better version of the 49ers’ offense would allow the team’s defense to take a step backward and still stay in Super Bowl contention. Alas, we’re in the most optimistic world here and San Francisco once again boasts the NFL’s top defense.

Defensive end depth is a concern, to be sure, but Nick Bosa would be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and Javon Hargrave would bounce back with a Pro Bowl campaign. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos would also provide enough rotational depth on the edges to make the 49ers’ pass rush a force like the one we saw in 2019.

This year is different though because their secondary is also loaded. Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir are both Pro Bowl candidates at cornerback, as are safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga. That group churns out a ton of takeaways in this universe where it all goes right.

While the 49ers may miss Dre Greenlaw alongside Fred Warner, De’Vondre Campbell looks more like his 2021 self and when Greenlaw does return he works in as the Sam LB who only plays a handful of snaps each game. Campbell is more susceptible in coverage than Greenlaw, but he’s overall a fine replacement and the 49ers don’t lose much in the linebacking corps.

All of those pieces falling into place give the 49ers a No. 1 offense and a No. 1 defense going into the playoffs. Once they’re there, their experience takes over and they steamroll their way to a Super Bowl where they finally knock off Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to earn their sixth Lombardi Trophy.

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Atypical Week 1 schedule could work in 49ers favor

The 49ers’ first week of the season will be a little weird because of Monday Night Football, but that might actually be a good thing.

The San Francisco 49ers open their season on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets to cap Week 1.

While a Monday night opener at Levi’s Stadium on national TV is a fun way to kickoff the regular season, it throws the team’s normal week of preparation off by a day.

Most teams are getting a bonus practice Monday before resuming their normal week of practices Wednesday, taking Saturday off, then playing Sunday.

For the 49ers, they’ll be a day behind.

San Francisco has a bonus practice Tuesday, they’ll take Wednesday off, and then their normal week of practice starts Thursday. They’ll get Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices in before a day off Sunday.

It’s not a normal week to begin the season, but it might ultimately benefit the 49ers.

They’ll get one extra day to get players healthy. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Jauan Jennings are all dealing with injuries leading up to the opener.

It also gives the 49ers an extra day to try and resolve left tackle Trent Williams’s holdout. Williams has yet to report to the team facility as he negotiates a new contract with San Francisco.

Tuesday’s practice won’t include an official participation report. That will begin Thursday and we’ll start getting a better picture of where the 49ers will be health-wise going into their Monday night opener.

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How to watch 49ers preseason national TV game vs. Saints

The 49ers are on national TV vs. the Saints! Here’s how to tap in:

Week 2 of the preseason was a little bit of a curveball for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints.

The two clubs were supposed to have three days of joint practices in Irvine, Calif. before facing off Sunday evening at Levi’s Stadium. The injury bug bit the 49ers so bad that they weren’t going to have enough players to properly execute a joint practice, so they cancelled those practices.

By cancelling those sessions, the 49ers changed their preseason calculus a bit. Typically they use the joint practices as a de facto game environment for the starters, then the reserves play in the preseason game.

Without the joint practices, the 49ers will now play their starters some against the Saints according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. That’s good news for FOX, which will be carrying the game nationally. It’s also good news for 49ers fans hoping to see more of what the team might actually look like when they line up for Week 1.

There will still be notable absences with left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk both sitting out while they await new contracts, but for the most part it should more closely resemble the 49ers than the team that took the field to open the preseason opener in Tennessee.

Here’s game information and how to watch/listen to Week 2 of the preseason:

Kickoff: 5:00pm Pacific Time

Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.

TV: FOX

Free streaming: FuboTV

Radio: KGO 810 AM

The 49ers also stream the game on their app, but it’s only available for viewers in the Bay Area market.

NFL+ also offers a paid streaming option.

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49ers Week 1 opponent dealing with contract drama of their own

The 49ers aren’t the only team with contract drama!

The San Francisco 49ers aren’t the only team dealing with contract drama entering the second week of the preseason.

While the 49ers deal with a holdout from left tackle Trent Williams, and the mess that has become wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s hold-in, their Week 1 opponent is dealing with a contract issue of their own.

The New York Jets acquired defensive end Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles on March 29 for a conditional 2026 draft pick. They’ve yet to come to an agreement on a long-term contract extension, leading to a holdout from the two-time Pro Bowler. He has now officially requested a trade according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The Jets swiftly responded with a statement from general manager Joe Douglas, indicating they won’t trade him, and they expect him to be in training camp.

Reddick is entering the final year of a three-year contract he originally signed with the Eagles before the 2022 campaign.

This is part of the reason why Aiyuk wasn’t more quickly dealt by the 49ers. They couldn’t just send him to whichever team gave him the best offer because the deal would be contingent on Aiyuk agreeing to sign a long-term contract. In that case the acquiring club would avoid a situation like the Jets have with Reddick.

While it isn’t good to have any kind of contract drama this late into camp, the 49ers can find at least a little solace that their Week 1 opponent is also working through similar headaches.

The Jets and 49ers are slated to face off on Monday Night Football to close out Week 1 of the regular season. Kickoff from Levi’s Stadium is scheduled for 5:15pm Pacific Time.

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When 49ers expect SS Talanoa Hufanga to return to practice

Talanoa Hufanga is on track to return to practice for the 49ers before their second preseason game vs. the Saints.

The 49ers are getting through the first portion of training camp without strong safety Talanoa Hufanga in the mix. He’s recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in Week 11 last season.

Leading into training camp there was only a vague understanding that Hufanga would come back at some point during the preseason. Now head coach Kyle Shanahan has provided some clarity on that front.

“I think he’s going to get checked up when we go down to L.A. and scrimmage,” Shanahan told reporters in a press conference. “I think down there is where we kind of were expecting around that time.”

Shanahan is referring to the 49ers’ joint practices with the Saints down in Irvine on Aug. 15 and 16 before they host New Orleans at Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 18.

If Hufanga is back by then he should have enough runway to be ready to play by the Sept. 9 season opener.

While the 49ers like their depth at safety, they’ll surely prefer Hufanga to be in the starting lineup when they face the Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 1.

Veteran special teams ace George Odum has been filling in with the starters during camp. Fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha, who’s been running with the second team, could also start there if Hufanga isn’t ready.

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When will 49ers wear each uniform in the 2024 season?

Whether at home or on the road, here’s how you can make sure the colors you’re wearing match the 49ers uniforms:

The 49ers on Thursday announced their uniform lineup for the 2024 season.

This includes when they’ll rock their throwback red uniforms and throwback white uniforms, as well as their typical home and road threads.

Home reds

Week 1 vs. Jets
Week 3 at Rams
Week 4 vs. Patriots
Week 5 vs. Cardinals
Week 7 vs. Chiefs
Week 10 at Buccaneers
Week 11 vs. Seahawks 
Week 14 vs. Bears 
Week 15 vs. Rams

Road whites

Week 2 at Vikings
Week 12 at Packers
Week 13 at Bills
Week 16 at Dolphins
Week 18 at Cardinals

Throwback reds

Week 8 vs. Cowboys
Week 17 vs. Lions

Throwback whites

Week 6 at Seahawks

That the 49ers can only wear their throwbacks a handful of times each year is a crime. They should be able to break those out for any big game. Cowboys and Lions are good games for the throwback reds. The throwback whites have become tradition in Seattle, and that’s a fun thing that we’re on board with. They’re too good to only come out thrice in a season though. Two more games with them would be perfect.

It’s also noteworthy that San Francisco won’t wear their road uniforms at all between Weeks 2 and 12. In that stretch they’re either in reds or throwbacks.

The 49ers kick off the regular season in their classic home uniform on Monday, Sept. 9 vs. the Jets.

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Key dates for 2025 NFL season that could have big impact on 49ers

The NFL announced a handful of key dates that could be important for the 49ers next offseason.

The NFL on Thursday released a handful of key dates for the 2025 season. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero provided the dates which were distributed to teams in a memo issued by the league. A couple of the events are of particular interest to the 49ers.

First on the list is the franchise/transition tag window which is open Feb. 18 to Mar. 4, 2025.

Generally the tag window isn’t of much import to the 49ers. They’ve only tagged kicker Robbie Gould during the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch tenure. Instead they’ll let a player walk or get an extension done before it reaches the franchise tag stage.

That could change if they’re unable to get a long-term deal done with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Then they may have Aiyuk play out his rookie deal before putting the franchise tag on him for the 2025 season. He’s likely the only player due to hit free agency next year that the 49ers would want back on the one-year, fully-guaranteed franchise tag. Safety Talanoa Hufanga, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and left guard Aaron Banks could also be in that mix though.

Next on the list of dates is the new league year, which officially opens Mar. 12, 2025. That would be the day free agents officially hit the open market, although the legal negotiating window will open a couple days before that which means soon-to-be free agents are allowed to negotiate with other clubs. Ideally the 49ers would have extensions done before the new league year opens, but this will be the deadline they’re operating under to get any of those deals done.

Finally, Pelissero noted the NFL draft will take place in Green Bay, Wisc. from April 24-26 of next year.

Of course, all of this is way down the road. The 49ers haven’t even reported to training camp yet so next offseason feels like forever away. However, given the import of some of the moves San Francisco will be making over the next couple seasons, those dates are should get circled on a calendar as the team prepares for a tough upcoming offseason.

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49ers 2024 training camp report dates announced

49ers training camp reporting dates for veterans and rookies have been announced.

The 49ers’ training camp reporting dates have been announced for the 2024 season.

San Francisco’s rookies will be required to report for camp at the 49ers facility on July 16, while veterans will show up a week later on July 23.

No specific practice dates have been announced, but they’ll likely begin on-field work at the SAP Performance Center a day or two after that second report date.

This is a big training camp for San Francisco as they aim to integrate some new pieces on defense, work out their offensive line depth, and see how quarterback Brock Purdy looks in real action after his first full NFL offseason.

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49ers preseason schedule officially announced

Here’s when we’ll get to watch 49ers football again:

The 49ers on Wednesday officially announced their full preseason schedule for the 2024 season.

San Francisco will have one preseason home game sandwiched between a couple of road trips.

Here’s what their preseason schedule looks like:

Saturday, August 10: at Tennessee Titans, 4:00pm Pacific Time

Sunday, August 18: vs. New Orleans Saints, 5:00pm Pacific Time

Friday, August 23: at Las Vegas Raiders, 7:00pm Pacific Time

Both the Titans and Raiders games will air on KPIX 5 in the Bay Area, while their matchup with the Saints at home will show on FOX.

The 49ers are slated to have joint practices with the Saints in Southern California before facing them at Levi’s Stadium in Week 2 of the preseason, so technically San Francisco will be traveling on some level for all three of their preseason contests before opening up at home against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

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49ers again have one of NFL’s worst rest differentials since 2002

Last year the 49ers’ had the 6th-worst rest differential since 2002. This year they’ve managed to eclipse that mark for the 3rd-worst rest differential since 2002. Woof.

It was going to be hard for the 49ers to surpass their league-worst minus-20 rest differential from last season. Rest differential is the difference between a team’s number of days off between games and their opponent’s number of days off between games. In 2023 San Francisco’s minus-20 rest differential was the league’s worst and the sixth-worst since 2002, according to ESPN’s Brian Burke. Alas, their 2024 schedule managed to be worse in that regard.

In 2024 the 49ers will again have the worst rest differential in the league, logging a whopping minus-22, eclipsing last year’s mark and landing as the third-worst rest differential since 2002. Only the 2012 Eagles and the 2017 Giants had a worse differential. Philadelphia that year finished 4-12, while the 2017 Giants stumbled to a 3-13 record.

A key factor in the 49ers’ poor rest differential is that they play four teams coming off bye weeks. Also, the 49ers have a Thursday game in Week 6 vs. the Seahawks. They’d typically gain a rest advantage on the following opponent, but in this case that gets nullified by the Chiefs having their bye in Week 6. San Francisco will actually have a rest disadvantage despite getting extra time off before Week 7.

These are the breaks of the schedule sometimes, though. Last year San Francisco overcame the minus-20 rest differential to secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed en route to a Super Bowl trip. This year the path back to the No. 1 seed was always going to be steep – the minus-22 rest differential is just another hurdle they’ll need to clear.

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