We'll have to wait a little longer for the official release of the 2024 NFL schedule. However, each team's opponents have been known for some time. NFL.com writer Kevin Patra recently ranked each team's strength of schedule based on those opponents. The San Francisco 49ers are tied with three other teams for the 12th toughest schedule in the league.
The 49ers will face the following opponents during the upcoming season:
Home: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs
Away: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Below is the NFL ranking based on strength of schedule:
| Rank | Team | SOS | Opp. Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cleveland Browns | 158-131 | .547 |
| 2. | Baltimore Ravens | 155-134 | .536 |
| 3. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 154-135 | .533 |
| T-4. | Houston Texans | 152-137 | .526 |
| T-4. | Green Bay Packers | 152-137 | .526 |
| T-6. | New York Giants | 149-140 | .516 |
| T-6. | Buffalo Bills | 149-140 | .516 |
| T-8. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 148-141 | .512 |
| T-8. | Las Vegas Raiders | 148-141 | .512 |
| T-8. | New England Patriots | 148-141 | .512 |
| 11. | Detroit Lions | 147-142 | .509 |
| T-12. | Los Angeles Rams | 146-143 | .505 |
| T-12. | San Francisco 49ers | 146-143 | .505 |
| T-12. | Dallas Cowboys | 146-143 | .505 |
| T-12. | New York Jets | 146-143 | .505 |
| T-16. | Cincinnati Bengals | 145-144 | .502 |
| T-16. | Washington Commanders | 145-144 | .502 |
| T-16. | Minnesota Vikings | 145-144 | .502 |
| T-16. | Kansas City Chiefs | 145-144 | .502 |
| 20. | Denver Broncos | 143-146 | .495 |
| T-21. | Indianapolis Colts | 142-147 | .491 |
| T-21. | Philadelphia Eagles | 142-147 | .491 |
| T-21. | Tennessee Titans | 142-147 | .491 |
| T-24. | Arizona Cardinals | 141-148 | .488 |
| T-24. | Seattle Seahawks | 141-148 | .488 |
| T-24. | Miami Dolphins | 141-148 | .488 |
| T-27. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 138-151 | .478 |
| T-27. | Los Angeles Chargers | 138-151 | .478 |
| T-29. | Carolina Panthers | 135-154 | .467 |
| T-29. | Chicago Bears | 135-154 | .467 |
| T-31. | New Orleans Saints | 131-158 | .453 |
| T-31. | Atlanta Falcons | 131-158 | .453 |
Patra acknowledges that strength of schedule can be a flawed metric since it is purely based on each team's performance last season without taking into account any offseason changes. Teams can turn things around quickly with free agency and a successful draft.
"As long as we don't make grand predictions based on a flimsy metric, perusing SOS can be a simple, fun way to look at the upcoming season," Patra wrote.
