The 49ers strength of schedule is the easiest in the NFL, but what about their travel and rest?
Last season was a nightmare for the San Francisco 49ers with their rest differential and schedule. Not only did the miles traveled pile up, but so did the injuries. The 49ers faced a few teams coming off their bye week, while the team tried to push through with a group that was battered for the entire 2024 season.
After losing 11 games, the NFL released a favorable schedule that is ranked 32nd in the NFL for the 49ers. Also, the 49ers have a plus-nine rest differential in 2025. Sounds good, right?
According to the NFL Fatigue Index, the 49ers will travel the fifth-most miles (14,143), the second-most without international travel in NFL history, with three short rest games and three games with ten or more days of fatigue.
The methodology behind the science is a combination of games played, rest days, travel fatigue, road weariness, circadian misalignment (body clock change), altitude changes, and overall wear and tear.
There’s no way around it: the 49ers’ schedule is brutal, and a Week 14 bye may not be enough to save this group down the stretch. San Francisco does enjoy the fourth-best net rest advantage with zero opponents coming off a bye, and it boasts the easiest strength of schedule based on last year’s records. But the Niners travel the fifth-most miles overall and second-most by a team without an international game, which is why they are on the wrong end of the two biggest net total fatigue mismatches of the entire season in Week 11 and Week 13.
The two LA teams have the highest fatigue index in 2025, with the Chargers traveling the most miles in NFL history. The 49ers’ cumulative fatigue score is the seventh-highest at 88.69. The difference between the NFL’s strength of schedule and the fatigue index is a league-worst 32nd to seventh, which is the second-highest difference behind the Cleveland Browns, who have the 28th fatigue index score out of 32nd and the second-worst NFL strength of schedule.
How will the fatigue index affect the 49ers in 2025? That remains to be seen, but this season will be centered around the ability to remain healthy so the team can bounce back in 2025. It’s a good season for the team to start a youth movement with their defense.