Happy NFL schedule release day.
Soon, the San Francisco 49ers will know how their 2025 schedule shapes up, and if there will be any challenges with consecutive road games and heavy travel.
That is what the team will care about the most, but let's be real, from a fan's perspective, it's really all about the primetime games. The amount of primetime games a team receives is indicative.
It lets everyone know what the NFL thinks of a team in terms of popularity and greatness. The 49ers typically hit that nail on the head. However, they are coming off a poor 2024 season.
The NFL may not be too kind to them, and it doesn't specifically relate to them coming off a bad year. Since the 49ers were mediocre last year, it allows them to face plenty of lowly teams in 2024.
While their matchups are favorable, many of them don't generate exciting matchups. As a result, the 49ers' 2025 schedule might not have a lot of primetime games.
It's quite possible the 49ers only receive three games in primetime. Part of it will be due to how they looked last year, but largely it will be because of their lack of exciting matchups.
At least two games against NFC West opponents, like the Rams and Seahawks, will be in primetime. I would be stunned if the 49ers didn't face both in a primetime slot in 2025.
Other than those two, it is a little tough to pinpoint another game or two where they can play in primetime. The Bears are a team that I believe the 49ers will face in primetime.
Perhaps the Texans will be another. After that, I am not sure how the 49ers get to the maximum allotted primetime games in 2025.
With that said, I think the 49ers get at least four primetime games. They should be a competitive team in 2025 and are still one of the most alluring franchises in the NFL.
They can carry matchups alone to generate adequate viewing in primetime. I like them to get a good amount of primetime games, but I can't deny the possibility of them seeing only a few.
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