Too many storylines accompany 49ers' rumored Week 4 bout vs. AFC West rival

The San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos have no shortage of history.

All one needs to do is start off with head coach Kyle Shanahan, whose father, Mike Shanahan, won a Super Bowl with the Niners as an offensive coordinator before heading to Denver and winning more Super Bowls there as head coach, towing along his son throughout the journey.

Of course, general manager John Lynch's ties with the Broncos aren't a secret, having been a Pro Bowl safety for Denver before working on the media side prior to joining San Francisco's front office in 2017 in his current role.

There have been several trades between the two franchises, too, including the 2019 deal that sent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders from the Mile High City to the Bay Area to help the 49ers reach the Super Bowl that season.

Yes, plenty of connections.

And, should a recent regular-season schedule rumor ultimately come true, fans will be treated to all kinds of discussion points between the two teams as early as Week 4.

NFL schedule rumor points to 49ers hosting Broncos in Week 4

According to the X user, @NerdingOnNFL, the Niners will host the Broncos in a Week 4 game at Levi's Stadium at 4:25 p.m. on Oct. 4:

In addition to the aforementioned storylines, there'll certainly be discussions about linebacker Dre Greenlaw and his split from San Francisco a year ago to join Denver, only to be released one year into his three-year contract after missing half of 2025 with injuries.

Coming back to the 49ers, Greenlaw will ultimately be circling this game on the calendar above others.

Likewise, on Denver's side, former Niners defenders like safety Talanoa Hufanga and defensive tackle D.J. Jones will relish the chance to face their former employer and see some old friends in the process.

Yeah, those individual storylines will be talked about, too.

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