The San Francisco 49ers posted 13 regular-season wins in 2022, but their campaign came to an abrupt end in the NFC Championship Game. After quarterbacks Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Brock Purdy all suffered injuries, the 49ers had to turn to fourth-stringer Josh Johnson in the title tilt. With a still-uncertain situation under center, how will San Francisco navigate its 2023 schedule?
San Francisco 49ers Schedule and Opponents
While we won’t know the order of the 49ers’ 2023 games until the NFL releases its league-wide schedule in mid-May, we do know who San Francisco’s opponents will be.
Home Games
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
Away Games
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
- Minnesota Vikings
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Jacksonville Jaguars
San Francisco 49ers Strength of Schedule
Based on 2023 win total projections, the 49ers project to have the 10th-hardest NFL schedule next season. As usual, San Francisco will play each of its NFC West rivals at home and on the road. They will also face the entirety of the NFC East and the AFC North.
Additionally, the 49ers will play the two remaining NFC teams that finished in first place in their respective divisions: the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lastly, San Francisco will round out its schedule by playing the Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished first in the AFC South in 2022.
San Francisco 49ers Record Prediction
Purdy, last year’s Mr. Irrelevant who shined after being forced into late-season action, is expected to be the 49ers’ starting quarterback once he recovers from the torn UCL he suffered in the NFC Championship Game. However, he may not be ready until midway through September, which opens the door for other signal-callers on San Francisco’s roster.
Lance, who began the season as the 49ers’ starter before going down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, has a chance to fill in while Purdy is on the mend. However, he won’t be guaranteed the job and is expected to share first-team training camp and preseason reps with free agent addition Sam Darnold.
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While their quarterback situation is up in the air, the 49ers still boast one of the best rosters in the NFL. Few teams can rival San Fran’s skill-position package of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle, and the club should be able to mitigate the loss of right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who signed with the Broncos in free agency.
On defense, the 49ers lost coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who became the Texans’ head coach. But new play-caller Steve Wilks will take over a unit that’s as talented as ever and just added standout defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a front seven that already includes Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Fred Warner, and Dre Greenlaw.
Kyle Shanahan has proven his scheme can overcome any turnover under center, and there’s too much talent on the 49ers’ roster to project them to take a step back. Given the overall weak state of the NFC, San Francisco should be able to post at least 12 wins in 2023, even given its relatively tricky schedule.
