After another stellar regular season ended in more playoff heartbreak, the San Francisco 49ers are one again loading up in search of the franchise's sixth Super Bowl title in 2024.
Led by two top-five MVP candidates in Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey, the 2023 team looked like a buzzsaw for most of the year. They had two winning streaks of at least five games and scored at least 30 points in nine of their 12 wins.
Here's a look at the schedule the reigning NFC champs will face in 2024.
2024 San Francisco 49ers Schedule
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have done a great job of constantly adding talent to keep this roster competitive on a yearly basis. They have been so close to the top of the mountain several times recently, and they will look to reach the summit this season.
If not for the Kansas City Chiefs, the 49ers would have a strong argument as the most successful team in the NFL over the past five years. They have made the NFC title game four times during that span, with two Super Bowl appearances.
As a result of their success, the 49ers are the standard every other team in the NFC is measuring themselves against. They will be tested against a difficult schedule that includes a restocked Los Angeles Rams roster, an intriguing Seattle Seahawks squad and Arizona Cardinals team that loaded up on young talent in the draft just in their own division.
The 49ers didn't rest on their success last season. Shanahan opted to make a change at defensive coordinator after that unit struggled against the run for most of 2023. There also seemed to be a disconnect between what Steve Wilks wanted to do and what Shanahan wanted from his defense.
Wilks was replaced by Nick Sorensen, who has been an assistant on Shanahan's staff the past two seasons. The 49ers also hired former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as an assistant head coach who can help with defensive schemes.
The most significant roster move made by the 49ers was releasing longtime captain Arik Armstead after he declined to take a pay cut. They did bring in free agents Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jordan Elliott to replace their depth on the defensive line.
San Francisco also used its first first-round pick in the draft since 2021 to add Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. Despite some rumblings that Pearsall's addition could mean one of Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel would be traded, both of them are still with the team.
Even though the NFC is getting better, the 49ers are still the best team on paper in the conference.
All 11 offensive starters from the 2023 team thatdominated for most of the season are back. Purdy went from an interesting curiosity as a rookie to a flat-out good starting quarterback. McCaffrey, Samuel, Aiyuk and George Kittle is the best collection of skill-position talent in the league.
If the defense can improve in the areas it was weak last season, particularly against the run, the 49ers could easily finish with the best record in the NFL.
Pivotal Matchups
In order to reach that ceiling, though, the 49ers will have to navigate a schedule that includes nine games against teams that made the playoffs last season.
The highlight game that everyone in San Francisco will be circling is a Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs at Levi's Stadium.
For all of the success Shanahan has had as a head coach, the Chiefs have been his kryptonite. He is 0-4 against them between the regular season and playoffs. The 49ers have been outscored by 32 points in their two regular-season meetings, including a 44-23 defeat in Week 7 of the 2022 season.
Sticking with Super Bowl contenders from the AFC, the 49ers have to travel to Highmark Stadium for a matchup with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The last time these two teams squared off was in Week 13 of the 2020 season when Allen went 32-of-40 for 375 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-24 win.
The 49ers non-divisional NFC opponents include the North division. That means they get to play both teams they defeated in the playoffs en route to the Super Bowl. They will host the Detroit Lions in an NFC Championship Game rematch in Week 17.
San Francisco will travel to Lambeau Field for a matchup with the Green Bay Packers in Week 12. The 49ers sent the Packers home last season with a 24-21 win in the divisional round.
The Niners will look to continue their dominance over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 8. They have won three straight games in the classic rivalry, including a 42-10 drubbing last season.
It's a tough schedule that will challenge the 49ers, but they have proven in the past to be more than capable of handling a gauntlet to be among the best teams in the NFL.
