49ers’ five biggest questions ahead of NFL schedule release
By virtue of beating the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the NFL season opener on Thursday, Sept. 5 against the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL unveiled Monday.
Installing that AFC Championship Game rematch is no big surprise for Game No. 1 of 272. But several mysteries exist until the NFL’s full schedule is released Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Here are the five biggest questions regarding the 49ers’ schedule (opponents already are known):
1. SUPER BOWL REMATCH
Only three months have passed since, well, Patrick Mahomes passed to an open Mecole Hardman for the Super Bowl-winning touchdown in overtime against the 49ers. The 49ers will host the Chiefs this season at Levi’s Stadium, where Mahomes threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-23 rout in October 2022; the 49ers won 12 straight games after that before losing the NFC title game in Philadelphia.
2. NFC CHAMPIONSHIP ENCORE
The NFL wouldn’t use the opening weekend for both of its conference championship rematches, right? At some point, the 49ers will welcome back the Detroit Lions, who blew a 24-7 halftime lead and let Brock Purdy & Co. rally for a 34-31 win to clinch the Halas Trophy and a Super Bowl berth.
3. HOME-OPENING OPPONENT
Of the eight teams visiting Levi’s Stadium this season, we only know the Chiefs will not be coming for a Week 1 opener. If the home opener isn’t against the Lions, then perhaps the NFL taps its rivalry vein for the Dallas Cowboys (the 49ers won 42-10 in Week 5 last season), or maybe it launches Aaron Rodgers’ comeback with the New York Jets. Otherwise, the options are the New England Patriots, the Chicago Bears, or the NFC West’s Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, or Seattle Seahawks.
Five of the 49ers’ past six seasons have opened on the road, with the lone exception being 2020 (24-20 loss to Arizona). In fact, their past two Super Bowl seasons (2019 and 2023) opened with back-to-back road games. The 49ers have won their past two home openers (2022 against the Seahawks, 2023 against the Giants) after losing the 2021 home opener to Rodgers and the Packers in Week 3.
4. LONDON OR LAMBEAU?
The 49ers’ only potential international game would pit them against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, an hour-long Tube ride north of central London. Could the 49ers be making their first UK visit since 2013? Deebo Samuel surfaced on the NFL’s UK/Ireland Twitter account last week saying: “Big news comin’!”
Deebo knows the score pic.twitter.com/6K7WPaX49y
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) May 7, 2024
All international games will be revealed Wednesday morning on NFL Network (4-6 a.m. PT).
The 49ers’ road schedule includes their first visit to Green Bay’s Lambeau Field since the 2021 season’s divisional round upset. That matchup will not happen in Week 1; the Packers open against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil on Friday, Sept. 6.
Buffalo will host the 49ers for the first time since Colin Kaepernick’s and Chip Kelly’s farewell NFL season of 2016. Other away games: Miami, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle, and, Minnesota if London is not calling.
With three East Coast games on the agenda, another layover between two of them makes sense, such as Bradenton, Fla. (2019), White Sulphur Springs, W.V. (2020, ’21, ’22), Youngstown, Ohio (2011, ’12, ’19).
5. QUARTERBACK LINEUP
Three quarterbacks drafted in the top 10 could face the 49ers: Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears, No. 1 overall), Drake Maye (New England Patriots, No. 3), and J.J. McCarthy (Vikings, No. 10), the latter of whom will compete for the starting role with ex-49ers backup Sam Darnold.
Other quarterbacks on the schedule: Mahomes (Chiefs), Rodgers (New York Jets), Jordan Love (Packers), Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins), Josh Allen (Bills), Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Bucs), Jared Goff (Lions), Kyler Murray (Cardinals), Matthew Stafford/Jimmy Garoppolo (Rams), and, Geno Smith (Seahawks).