Will it be the Bay Area or the Trey Area come Week 1?
The 49ers enter the 2022 season with largely the same roster when they made the NFC Championship Game in 2021. Their biggest question remains: Who will be throwing the football in Week 1?
With Jimmy Garoppolo still on the roster and 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance presumably ready to take over, the 49ers still have one major hurdle to clear entering the season. With landing spots all but dried up for Garoppolo, the team may be forced to either bench him or cut him before the start of the year. Having two viable starting options is still a good problem to have.
San Francisco brass still has "problemz" though — potentially 19 of them. The 49ers seemingly navigated the drama surrounding wide receiver Deebo Samuel this offseason, with All-Pro reportedly wanting out of the Bay Area and wanting a new contract (or both), but with the 2022 NFL Draft come and gone, Samuel remains a 49er.
Even with the unsettled in-house business, the Niners should still be a safe bet to be playing meaningful games and December, and potentially well beyond that. It won't be too easy, though, with their schedule one of the more difficult ones in the NFL this year.
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San Francisco 49ers schedule 2022
he 49ers schedule, complete with dates, kickoff times and TV channels will be revealed on Thursday, May 12. The 49ers are scheduled to face the following opponents in their 2022 schedule:
- Home: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders
- Away: Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 11 | at Chicago Bears | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 2 | Sept. 18 | vs. Seattle Seahawks | 4:05 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 3 | Sept. 25 | at Denver Broncos (SNF) | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 4 | Oct. 3 | vs. Los Angeles Rams (MNF) | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 5 | Oct. 9 | at Carolina Panthers | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 6 | Oct. 16 | at Atlanta Falcons | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 7 | Oct. 23 | vs. Kansas City Chiefs | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 8 | Oct. 30 | at Los Angeles Rams | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 9 | BYE | — | — | — |
| 10 | Nov. 13 | vs. Los Angeles Chargers (SNF) | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 11 | Nov. 21 (MNF) | Cardinals (at Mexico City) | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 12 | Nov. 27 | vs. New Orleans Saints | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 13 | Dec. 4 | vs. Miami Dolphins | 4:05 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 14 | Dec. 11 | vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 15 | Dec. 15 | at Seattle Seahawks (TNF) | 8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | vs. Washington Commanders (Saturday) | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | Jan. 1 | at Las Vegas Raiders | 4:05 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 18 | Jan. 7/8 | vs. Arizona Cardinals | TBD | TBD |
The 49ers are coming off a wishy-washy season where they got hot at the right time, with their running game and defense carrying them all the way to the NFC Championship game.
49ers strength of schedule
The 49ers enter the 2022 season with one of the league's most difficult schedules, with a .533 opponent winning percentage from 2021. That leaves them tied for fifth-toughest in the NFL, alongside the Chiefs.
The NFC West might not be as daunting a task as it has been in years past, with the Seahawks in a state of flux and the Cardinals something of an unknown after a hot start to the 2021 season. The Rams, though, remain the cream of the crop in the division and are coming off a Super Bowl win.
Toughest tests: The NFC West is always, always a tough proposition: The division had three playoff teams last season (including San Francisco) and also has the defending Super Bowl champs. While Seattle might take a step or two back without Russell Wilson this upcoming season, four games against the rest could make for tough sledding.
Biggest breaks: The 49ers' road slate is going to be pretty easy: They face just one team that made the playoffs in 2021 on the road (the Raiders). They do, though, face a remade Broncos squad featuring old frenemy Russell Wilson.
Bottom line: Depending on how the 49ers' quarterback situation works out, they could be a boom or bust team. Don't bet against Kyle Shanahan, who manages to get the most out of his team every year — when they're healthy.
Record prediction: 12-5
