The NFL released its complete 256-game regular-season schedule on Wednesday. It included the San Francisco 49ers' 16-game slate of game. At first glance, there was one curious aspect of the schedule — other than an early Week 4 bye — that is causing some confusion among fans.
Why doesn't the 49ers' Week 16 game have a scheduled date or time yet?
We've received that question more than any other since Wednesday's schedule unveiling. At first glance, seeing "TBA" on an official schedule may seem like an error, but it's not. The date and time for that game won't be determined until about mid-season.
Week 16 of the NFL season will feature a Saturday triple-header in addition to Sunday's games. The league will choose three matchups from five possibilities to be part of that three-game Saturday. Below are the options the NFL will pick from.
- Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
- Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
- Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
- Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos
The NFL will pick the three most appealing matchups for Saturday, December 21, which will have kick-off times of 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 5:15 p.m. PT. All three games will air on NFL Network.
The remaining two games will be played on Sunday, December 22.
The league's decision as to which games will take place on that Saturday will be made no later than the days following Week 8. Until then, the game will remain in "To Be Announced" status.
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