The San Francisco 49ers’ opponents for the 2026 regular season have been set for some time. While fans wait for the NFL to release the official schedule and make travel plans, what are the three most anticipated games in 2026? For this exercise, I’ll leave out the matchups with division rivals. The season opener in Australia against the Rams and the Mexico City matchup are anticipated based on location. Two rematches with the defending Super Bowl champions are too easy to point to.
San Francisco at Kansas City
The 49ers under Kyle Shanahan have yet to defeat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. The last time the 49ers visited Kansas City, Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL and the 49ers lost in Week 2. The losing season led to the 49ers holding the second pick and drafting Nick Bosa.
The obvious revenge points are the two Super Bowl losses to the Chiefs. Unfortunately, beating the Chiefs in the regular season won’t get the 49ers a Lombardi, but a win will show they can beat the “big, bad wolf.” Winning in Kansas City will mean a little extra as far as difficulty goes,
Philadelphia at San Francisco
Since the 2022 NFC Championship game, things have gotten chippy between the two franchises. The Eagles won the big matchup and have a Super Bowl victory over Kansas City, but lately the 49ers have gotten the better of the Eagles with two straight victories, including last year’s Wild Card victory in Philadelphia.
The Eagles have a new playcaller and will have an offensive scheme resembling Shanahan’s in 2026. Both teams will be ready to go for this matchup, which has the opportunity to be nationally televised. It will depend on when the matchup is scheduled.
San Francisco at Los Angeles Chargers
The 49ers were robbed of a SoFi Stadium visit, but will still have the opportunity to take over the stadium as they will square off with the Los Angeles Chargers. The stadium will be filled with red. The real story is the reunion of Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers. For the first time since taking over as the Chargers’ head coach, Harbaugh will face off against the first team to hire him.
There will be no shortage of storylines going into this game.
Honorable Mention: San Francisco at Dallas
49ers and Cowboys have a blood rivalry. The 49ers have owned Dallas as of late and will look to continue that success in Jerry World. Dallas has to have some urgency in this game or risk the narrative continuing to be the Cowboys being bullied by San Francisco.
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