The San Francisco 49ers were initially scheduled to play the Los Angeles Rams in primetime on Sunday evening. The two teams were expected to be involved in a season-long race for the NFC West crown. That made the Week 7 matchup so intriguing to schedule makers. While the Rams are undefeated through six weeks of play, the 49ers have lost their starting running back, starting quarterback, and dealt with several other injuries throughout their one-win season.
San Francisco is desperately looking to get back on track. Sunday will be a tough test at Levi's Stadium for the struggling Niners. With the game no longer viewed as an impactful NFC West battle, the NFL decided that Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs might bring in stronger ratings.
Several players have indicated that the demotion from primetime to an afternoon game is an insult. Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner went as far as to call it "a slap in the face."
At least one 49ers player, veteran cornerback Richard Sherman, isn't as upset as some of his teammates. He joined 95.7 The Game on Thursday night and was asked by Damon Bruce if he prefers afternoon over primetime games.
"I prefer them much more," Sherman answered. "I wish we never played at night. I really don't like primetime games, honestly. So getting flexed out was kind of a blessing for me."
Another 49ers game that could potentially be flexed out of primetime is the December 2 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, which will be a homecoming for Sherman. While there will likely be a great deal of hype surrounding that contest, the veteran cornerback merely sees it as another game on the schedule.
"I've played just about on every stage," Sherman said. "The size of the game doesn't really bother me in that way. I just like to be comfortable. I like to get the game over with, play it in the middle of the day. I don't like waiting all day to play a football game. That's just me, though. I think other people look at it differently but I look at it as the quicker we can get it done, and get to it, and then everyone gets to watch."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Sherman below.