49ers schedule 2023: Predicting which games are in prime time
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers are likely to get the max of five primetime games in 2023, so let's go ahead and predict which ones they'll be this season.
We're still a few days away from actually knowing the San Francisco 49ers schedule for the upcoming 2023 season.
From the latest reports, it's looking as if Thursday, May 11 will wind up being the official reveal date. Until then, there'll be rumors and speculation to hold fans over before they can officially start planning their calendars for the upcoming fall.
However, we do know which opponents the Niners will face this season, and you can get an idea of the full list here. San Francisco will have its obligatory NFC West games while also facing off against the NFC East and AFC North. On top of that, the 49ers will be on the road for the 17th game of the season and will have two other at-large games on a first-place schedule after winning the division last year.
While it's not official, the Niners are likely to have the maximum number of five primetime games, too, given they've been in the NFC Championship game in each of the last two years and are a heavy favorite to be there again in 2023.
So, if we were to predict which primetime games San Francisco would get, what would they be?
Let's take a look.
Primetime game No. 5: 49ers @ Seahawks
The rivalry between the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks might not be as heated as it was in the early 2010s, but it's still pretty juicy. Especially with virtually everyone in the NFL writing off the Hawks before last season, only to see them surprisingly make it into the playoffs, only then to be eliminated by the Niners.
OK, so the rivalry isn't quite what it used to be. But it's good enough for primetime television, especially if it winds up being another Thursday Night Football game at Lumen Field in Seattle where it was last season (San Francisco won that game 21-13).
The 49ers and Seahawks might no longer make for must-watch television as it did back a decade ago, so we can probably rule out Sunday night or Monday night.
But that TNF showdown sounds about right.