Since early January, we've known which opponents the San Francisco 49ers will face in 2022. Things won't be easy for Trey Lance, assuming he ends up being next season's starting quarterback. San Francisco is tied for the fifth-toughest schedule, per EDSFootball.com.
The ranking is based on the 2021 regular-season records of each opponent, and a lot could change over the next seven months. For now, the four teams with a more challenging road in 2022 are the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals, and now-Brady-less Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The winning percentage of the 49ers' opponents is .533, with a collective 2021 record of 154-135. Below are the teams with the 10 toughest strength of schedules next season.
- Los Angeles Rams, 164-125-0, .567
- Arizona Cardinals, 157-132-0, .543
- Cincinnati Bengals, 154-133-2, .536
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 154-134-1, .535
- San Francisco 49ers, 154-135-0, .533
- Kansas City Chiefs, 154-135-0, .533
- Las Vegas Raiders, 152-136-1, .528
- New Orleans Saints, 152-136-1, .528
- Atlanta Falcons, 151-137-1, .524
- Los Angeles Chargers, 150-139-0, .519
You have to take the ranking with a grain of salt, though. You can't just look at what a team did this past season to forecast what it might do next. For example, the 49ers host the Buccaneers in 2022, a matchup seemingly easier with Tom Brady no longer on the team. The Niners travel to face the Denver Broncos, who finished 7-10 but could be a quarterback away from being a force in the AFC West.
The 49ers are also going through a transition of their own. They are expected to part ways with last season's starting quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, and rely on Lance, who will be 22 years old at the start of the season.
The NFL released last season's schedule on May 12, 2021. Expect this year's release date to be around the same time, after the draft. For now, you can review San Francisco's opponents for the 2022 season below.
HOME (9 games)
- Arizona Cardinals
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Miami Dolphins
- New Orleans Saints
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Washington Commanders
AWAY (8 games)
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- Chicago Bears
- Denver Broncos
- Los Angeles Rams
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Seattle Seahawks