The San Francisco 49ers have endured a brutal 2024 season plagued by injuries and squandered opportunities. While the team missed the playoffs in the 2024 season, their scheduled opponents for 2025 should inspire hope for a better campaign next season.
Recently, the Niners announced their 2025 opponents on social media, which can be viewed below:
Our 2025 opponents are set.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 1, 2025
If you cannot access the post, the Niners will play two games against each team in the NFC West, which includes the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks.
Additionally, they will play every team in the NFC South, which includes the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They will also play each team in the AFC South, which includes the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans.
That adds up to 14 games, with their three additional games coming against the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants, who will all finish last in their respective divisions for 2024, just like San Francisco.
It is important to keep in mind the NFC South and AFC South are two of the weaker divisions in the entire league. Currently, Tampa Bay is leading the NFC South with a record of 9-7, and the Texans also lead their division with a record of 9-7.
That is not to say that things cannot change between this year and next year. Perhaps teams with young quarterbacks like the Panthers and Colts will improve next season and take a step forward.
Yet, the Niners have a better chance at a good year in 2025 than they did in 2024. San Francisco had to play every team in the NFC North, which is the strongest division in football. It lost to the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers, so it will be a relief for the 49ers to not have to see any of those teams in the 2025 regular season.
Obviously, the 49ers have to do a better job of taking care of business in their division next season. The fact they have sported a dismal record of 1-4 against divisional foes this year, with all four losses coming in one-score games that they should have been able to win, suggests that divisional games may be treated with even greater emphasis next season.
Again, the Niners still have to clean up a lot of things and play much better football next season if they want to return to the playoffs.
But, the fact that they do not have many scary opponents next season bodes well for their chances to turn things around in 2025.