With the NFL set to release its entire 2023 regular-season schedule on Thursday, San Francisco 49ers fans were eager to find out when their favorite team would have a chance at redemption against the Philadelphia Eagles. WTOV in Ohio was the first to report that the two NFC Championship Game participants will clash on Sunday, December 3, a Week 13 matchup.
While the tweet from WTOV was eventually deleted, ESPN's Field Yates and the NFL later confirmed the report.
The 49ers and Eagles will play at Lincoln Financial Field. The game will air on FOX and have a 1:25 p.m. PT (4:25 p.m. ET) kickoff.
It's an NFC Championship rematch in Week 13!@49ers @Eagles
📺: 2023 NFL Schedule Release -- Thursday 8pm ET on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/EFhzpnf7Zs
— NFL (@NFL) May 11, 2023
A Week 13 matchup: the Eagles and 49ers will face off in a rematch of last year's NFC Championship game.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 11, 2023
Did someone get in trouble for leaking an NFL matchup early? Or was the info incorrect? You guess.
This tweet from WTOV in Ohio has been deleted. #49ers #Eagles pic.twitter.com/VTdkZsvYUT
— 49ers Webzone (@49erswebzone) May 10, 2023
Schedule leaks are often hit-or-miss in their accuracy. However, the NFL confirming the report makes it official.
The 49ers entered last season's NFC Championship Game riding a 12-game win streak. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy suffered a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow early in the game. In addition, his backup, Josh Johnson, was knocked out of the matchup due to a concussion. That left San Francisco unable to throw the football, relying entirely on its run game.
The Eagles beat the handicapped 49ers 31-7, advancing to the Super Bowl. Many Niners players believe the outcome would have been different without the injury.
"I ain't going to keep going on about what could've happened and what would've happened, but yeah, it would've definitely been a different outcome," wide receiver Deebo Samuel recently told Complex. "... We lost because we played with 10 people."
While many question whether Purdy will be healthy enough to start Week 1, he is almost sure to be available before the December matchup with the Eagles.
The 49ers remain a talented roster with offensive weapons like Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. On defense, the team added former Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a lineup that already included Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Charvarius Ward, and others.
"From top to bottom, I feel like we the best team in the league," Samuel said.
The rematch with the Eagles will allow Samuel and the 49ers to prove that.