Niners Nation (SF)
NFL schedule release 2026: The 49ers will face the Vikings in Mexico City
This transcript does not include audio timing.
We’re a little more than 48 hours away from finding out the entirety of the San Francisco 49ers’ schedule for the 2026 regular season. It’s the NFL, so we’re going to get several leaks and rumors ahead of Thursday’s scheduled release. We’ll use this article as a one-stop place for every rumor that hits the internet about the 49ers’ schedule over the next couple of days.The first thing we’ll get is the slate of international games for 2026. That news will be released on Wednesday, May 13, at 9:00 a.m. ET. NFL Network’s Good Morning Football will be where the international games are announced.The good news is, we already know one of those games. The 49ers will begin the 2026 season playing on Thursday, September 10, against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia. The Rams are the “home” team, and it’s speculated they pushed hard to get the 49ers to keep the Faithful from taking over Levi’s South SoFi Stadium. It’s also annoying because the 49ers have a second international game in Mexico.Beyond the international games, we only know who the 49ers’ opponents will be. This is based on the NFL’s rotation. For 2026, the 49ers have the AFC West and NFC East, and the third-place teams from the AFC East and the NFC North. That means the opponents are broken down to this:Home:Arizona CardinalsLos Angeles RamsSeattle SeahawksDenver BroncosLas Vegas RaidersPhiladelphia EaglesWashington CommandersMiami DolphinsMinnesota VikingsAway:Arizona CardinalsLos Angeles RamsSeattle SeahawksDallas CowboysKansas City ChiefsLos Angeles ChargersNew York GiantsAtlanta FalconsOn first glance, the 49ers might have their hands full. There’s the usual gauntlet that is the NFC West, and on top of that are the Chiefs and the Eagles. Fortunately, the 49ers are projected to have a win total of 10.5 and one of the easiest schedules for 2026. That, of course, is all on paper. You never know who gets hot when the season gets going.The folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook have the 49ers with the third-best odds to win the NFC West (+260). If you are wondering just how strong that division is, look no further than the odds to win the NFC Championship; the 49ers have the third-best odds (+750), right behind the Seattle Seahawks (+500) and the Rams (+390)As new rumors about the 49ers’ schedule emerge, we will update this post. The full slate of games is at the bottom.Latest 49ers schedule news, leaks:5/11: Confirmed: 49ers “at” the Rams, September 105/13: Vikings vs. 49ers in Mexico CityCBS Sports believes the 49ers will play on Thanksgiving:Late afternoon gameHome team: Dallas CowboysTime: 4:30 p.m. ET game (Fox, Fubo try for free)Possible opponents: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Cardinals, 49ers, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Titans, RavensBreakdown: Last year, the NFL put two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in this spot and the game set a regular-season record by drawing 57.23 million viewers. This year, the Cowboys do have another two-time MVP on the schedule in Lamar Jackson, but they don’t be able to face the Ravens on Turkey Day because they’ll be facing Baltimore in Week 3 down in Brazil. So that’s out. The Cowboys have played a divisional opponent in three of the past four years on Thanksgiving, so that definitely seems like a possibility. In the past 10 years, there have only been four instances where the Cowboys didn’t face a divisional opponent, and in all four cases, they played an AFC team, so let’s throw the Jaguars in there as a possible surprise.Predicted opponent: Commanders or JaguarsPrimetime gameHome team: TBATime: 8:20 p.m. ET game (NBC, Fubo try for free)Predicted game: Broncos at 49ers or Steelers at EaglesBreakdown: Over the past 10 years, the prime time Thanksgiving game has featured at least one team that made the playoffs in the prior season, so it seems like a lock that we’ll see at least one 2025 playoff team in this slot and possibly two. The Broncos haven’t played on Thanksgiving since 2009, so this would end their drought. Not to mention, Kyle Shanahan served as a Broncos ball boy when he was younger, so you have a perfect connection for a Thanksgiving night game. The Steelers could also make some sense here. With Aaron Rodgers playing in what will likely be his final season, this gives the NFL one more chance to feature him on Thanksgiving. Rodgers hasn’t played in a Thanksgiving game since 2015, which is also the last time the Eagles played on Thanksgiving, so that matchup would be perfect.That’s two opportunities, with the more likely one being the late game against Denver. Another outlet predicted it’ll be the Seahawks against the Rams on primetime.Kyle’s update, 8:08 a.m. PT: The 49ers will take on the Vikings in Mexico City in Week 11 on Sunday Night Football.49ers 2026 schedule leaksWeek 1 — Thursday, September 10/Friday, September 11 at Los Angeles Rams (Australia)Week 2 —Week 3 —Week 4 —Week 5 —Week 6 —Week 7 —Week 8 -Week 9 —Week 10 —Week 11 — vs. Vikings in Mexico City on Sunday Night FootballWeek 12—Week 13 —Week 14 —Week 15 —Week 16 —Week 17 —Week 18 —
Takes mentioned in this episode
- San Francisco 49ers team · neutral
“On first glance, the 49ers might have their hands full. There's the usual gauntlet that is the NFC West, and on top of that are the Chiefs and the Eagles.”
Factual assessment of difficult opponents on schedule
- San Francisco 49ers team · neutral
“We're a little more than 48 hours away from finding out the entirety of the San Francisco 49ers' schedule for the 2026 regular season.”
Factual announcement about schedule release
- Philadelphia Eagles team · neutral
“Rodgers hasn't played in a Thanksgiving game since 2015, which is also the last time the Eagles played on Thanksgiving, so that matchup would be perfect.”
Factual historical note about Eagles' Thanksgiving game history
- Minnesota Vikings team · neutral
“The 49ers will take on the Vikings in Mexico City in Week 11 on Sunday Night Football.”
Confirmed schedule matchup
- Seattle Seahawks team · neutral
“Another outlet predicted it'll be the Seahawks against the Rams on primetime.”
Factual alternative prediction for primetime Thanksgiving game
- Aaron Rodgers player · neutral
“Rodgers hasn't played in a Thanksgiving game since 2015, which is also the last time the Eagles played on Thanksgiving, so that matchup would be perfect.”
Factual historical note about Rodgers' Thanksgiving game history
- Dallas Cowboys team · neutral
“The Cowboys have played a divisional opponent in three of the past four years on Thanksgiving, so that definitely seems like a possibility.”
Factual historical pattern of Cowboys Thanksgiving scheduling
- Baltimore Ravens team · neutral
“they don't be able to face the Ravens on Turkey Day because they'll be facing Baltimore in Week 3 down in Brazil.”
Factual scheduling constraint preventing Ravens-Cowboys Thanksgiving matchup
- Los Angeles Rams team · neutral
“The 49ers will begin the 2026 season playing on Thursday, September 10, against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia.”
Factual schedule announcement
- San Francisco 49ers team · neutral
“the 49ers have the third-best odds (+750), right behind the Seattle Seahawks (+500) and the Rams (+390)”
Factual reporting of NFC Championship odds
- Aaron Rodgers player · neutral
“With Aaron Rodgers playing in what will likely be his final season”
Thanksgiving game prediction
- Patrick Mahomes player · positive
“Last year, the NFL put two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in this spot and the game set a regular-season record by drawing 57.23 million viewers.”
Positive reference to Mahomes' star power drawing record viewership for Thanksgiving game
- Lamar Jackson player · positive
“This year, the Cowboys do have another two-time MVP on the schedule in Lamar Jackson”
Positive reference to Lamar Jackson as two-time MVP, star player for potential Thanksgiving matchup
- Lamar Jackson player · positive
“the Cowboys do have another two-time MVP on the schedule in Lamar Jackson”
Thanksgiving game prediction
- San Francisco 49ers team · positive
“the 49ers are projected to have a win total of 10.5 and one of the easiest schedules for 2026”
49ers schedule and odds discussion
- Kyle Shanahan player · neutral
“Kyle Shanahan served as a Broncos ball boy when he was younger”
Thanksgiving game connection
- Kyle Shanahan coach · neutral
“Kyle Shanahan served as a Broncos ball boy when he was younger, so you have a perfect connection for a Thanksgiving night game.”
Factual reference to Shanahan's past connection to Broncos organization
- Pittsburgh Steelers team · neutral
“The Steelers could also make some sense here”
Thanksgiving primetime prediction
- Denver Broncos team · neutral
“The Broncos haven’t played on Thanksgiving since 2009”
Thanksgiving primetime prediction
- Seattle Seahawks team · positive
“the 49ers have the third-best odds (+750), right behind the Seattle Seahawks (+500) and the Rams (+390)”
NFC Championship odds
- Philadelphia Eagles team · neutral
“on top of that are the Chiefs and the Eagles”
49ers schedule difficulty
- Kansas City Chiefs team · neutral
“on top of that are the Chiefs and the Eagles”
49ers schedule difficulty
- Los Angeles Rams team · neutral
“the Rams are the “home” team, and it’s speculated they pushed hard to get the 49ers to keep the Faithful from taking over Levi’s South SoFi Stadium”
Rams hosting 49ers in Australia
- Minnesota Vikings team · neutral
“The 49ers will take on the Vikings in Mexico City in Week 11”
Schedule leak
- Kansas City Chiefs team · positive
“Last year, the NFL put two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in this spot and the game set a regular-season record by drawing 57.23 million viewers.”
Chiefs featured in high-profile Thanksgiving slot that drew record viewership
- Baltimore Ravens team · neutral
“they’ll be facing Baltimore in Week 3 down in Brazil”
Cowboys schedule
- Aaron Rodgers player · positive
“With Aaron Rodgers playing in what will likely be his final season, this gives the NFL one more chance to feature him on Thanksgiving.”
Positive framing of Rodgers as marquee player worthy of prime Thanksgiving slot in final season
- Dallas Cowboys team · neutral
“the Cowboys do have another two-time MVP on the schedule in Lamar Jackson”
Thanksgiving game prediction
- San Francisco 49ers team · positive
“Fortunately, the 49ers are projected to have a win total of 10.5 and one of the easiest schedules for 2026.”
Positive assessment of schedule difficulty relative to win projection
- Denver Broncos team · positive
“The Broncos haven't played on Thanksgiving since 2009, so this would end their drought. Not to mention, Kyle Shanahan served as a Broncos ball boy when he was younger, so you have a perfect connection for a Thanksgiving night game.”
Positive framing of Broncos as likely Thanksgiving opponent with narrative connection to Kyle Shanahan