The San Francisco 49ers have lived on the primetime schedule in recent years. They were under the lights five times in 2025.
Week 5
Week 7
Week 12
Week 16
Week 17
They had a maximum of six in 2024. Every year since 2020, through the Super Bowl run in 2023, the team was featured on primetime five times.
How many primetime games will the 49ers have in 2026?
History tells us that the number will be five. Even after the Seahawks’ season and the Rams’ making the NFC Championship, the 49ers are unlikely to take
a backseat on the national stage. We know that’s the case, or else the NFL wouldn’t be sending the team to two international games.
Last year is a good example of the 49ers going up against teams that turned out to be better than they were perceived in the preseason, which led to the team getting flexed into primetime. San Francisco had three of their games flexed in 2025. Week 6 in Tampa Bay was flexed from the morning to the afternoon slot. At the end of the year, the Colts game and the season-finale against the Seahawks were flexed into primetime.
John Harbaugh going to the Big Apple could lead to a potential primetime game against the New York Giants. The Cowboys should be among the better teams in the conference. Both of those are road games for the 49ers this season. Then there are a few “what if” teams. The Vikings, Falcons, Chargers, and Commanders are all likely to hover around .500, making for potential intriguing matchups, depending on whether things fall right for them.
