Perhaps a better question is how many primetime games do the 49ers deserve after a 6-win season?
The San Francisco 49ers have become a favorite for primetime games, playing in a whopping 25 since 2020. The Niners played in six primetime games last season, but that team was coming fresh off a Super Bowl appearance. The 2025 49ers, however, will be a team coming off a disappointing six-win campaign, which could affect the number of primetime slots in 2025.
The 2024 season was often compared to the 2020 season, with both following a Super Bowl appearance with six wins. The dismaying 2020 season didn’t hurt the 49ers’ primetime schedule in 2021, with San Francisco appointed five primetime games. That number ended up being four, with the 49ers’ Week 13 tilt against the Seattle Seahawks flexed out for the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs.
The 2021 schedule shows that the 49ers are a primetime draw even after a bad season. So, how many primetime games will the 49ers have in 2025?
If recent history indicates, the 49ers will have at least one primetime game against an NFC West foe. Of those 25 games since 2020, eight have been against the NFC West, with San Francisco featured in at least two divisional primetime games in two of the last five seasons (and would have been three of the previous five if it weren’t for the Seattle flex). I think that trend will continue, with the 49ers having two NFC West primetime games in 2025, one against the Rams and one against the Seahawks.
Looking outside the division at the 49ers’ 2025 opponents, not much screams primetime matchups. Based on brand value alone, you could eliminate half of the remaining teams as potential primetime matchups, like the Panthers and Saints. A few others could be considered “future of the league” showcases, with Caleb and Travis Hunter slated to take on San Francisco this fall.
If I were to make a prediction, the 49ers will have five primetime games when the schedule is announced on Wednesday. The NFC West rivals will take two slots, with the other three coming against the Bears, Texans, and Giants.
Each of those three offers interesting underlying storylines. Caleb Williams will be in his second season, but his first under offensive mastermind Ben Johnson. When Johnson faced the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan’s offense last season, San Francisco and the Lions combined for 74 points on a Monday night.
Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans will face the 49ers for the first time since leaving San Francisco to take over the Texans, where he’s made the postseason in his first two seasons. Not only will he be facing Shanahan, but also the defensive coordinator he replaced, Robert Saleh.
Speaking of Saleh, the 49ers’ game against the Giants will be his first game back at MetLife Stadium since being unceremoniously fired by the Jets last season. The 49ers have taken on a New York team in primetime in each of the last two seasons, beating the Jets in the season opener last season and defeating the Giants in the 49ers’ home opener in 2023 on a Thursday night.
We will find out when the 49ers play each of their opponents when the NFL announces the 2025 schedule on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PST.