49ers predicted to participate in Thanksgiving triple-header

Once again, the NFL is expected to deliver an enticing Thanksgiving Day slate featuring three marquee matchups. The San Francisco 49ers last played on the holiday in 2023, when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks 31-13 at Lumen Field.

With the 2026 NFL schedule set to be released on Thursday, some are predicting the 49ers will once again be part of the Thanksgiving triple-header.

The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions are annual Thanksgiving hosts. While the Lions are not scheduled to face the 49ers this season, the Cowboys are set to host San Francisco, making a 49ers-Cowboys showdown a strong possibility.

Mike Phillips of FanSided predicts the 49ers will travel to Dallas for the marquee afternoon matchup.

"The 4:30 pm ET slot is a marquee window and should have the highest ratings of the day with Dallas," Phillips wrote. "The NFL will likely want to save the Cowboys' divisional foes for more featured windows, so we'll lock in the 49ers for a massive clash among potential NFC playoff teams."

John Breech of CBS Sports also believes the 49ers will land on Thanksgiving, although he projects them to appear in the late prime-time NBC matchup, which can feature any teams.

Breech predicts the late-night game could feature either the Denver Broncos at the 49ers or the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Over the past 10 years, the prime-time Thanksgiving game has featured at least one playoff team from the prior season, so it seems like a lock that we'll see at least one 2025 playoff team in this slot, and possibly two," Breech wrote. "The Broncos haven't played on Thanksgiving since 2009, so this would end their drought.

"Not to mention, Kyle Shanahan served as a Broncos ball boy when he was younger, so you have a perfect connection for a Thanksgiving night game."

The speculation surrounding the holiday matchups will end on Thursday with the official schedule release.

What do you think about the 49ers potentially playing on Thanksgiving? Let us know in the comments below.