placeholder image

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports


NFL officially expands regular-season schedule to 17 games per team, creating 49ers at Bengals matchup

Mar 30, 2021 at 11:32 AM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Big changes are in store for the upcoming season. Today, the NFL announced that the regular-season schedule for each team would include 17 games rather than the 16-game schedules that have been a staple since 1978. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported it first.


According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the NFL preseason is being reduced to three games per team, not including the Hall of Fame Game.

The option was always likely to come into play this season as it was one of the conditions of last year's ratified collective bargaining agreement. It states that owners can expand the per-team schedule to 17 games starting with the 2021 season.

This will be the second significant change to the NFL schedule in as many years. The league expanded last year's playoffs to include two extra teams, bringing the total number of postseason participants to 14.

There will be no extra bye week, and the regular season will be played in 18 weeks. That will result in the Super Bowl being pushed back to February 13, 2022, from its scheduled date a week earlier.

NFL owners agreed on a scheduling formula for each team's extra game—an inter-conference matchup based on each team's finish from the previous season. That means each NFC West team will face the AFC North opponent that finished the 2020 season with the same spot in the division's standings.

For the last-place San Francisco 49ers, that equals a matchup against the last-place Cincinnati Bengals.


In February, NBC Sports' Peter King reported that each conference would take turns hosting all 16 of the extra matchups, with the AFC going first in 2021. That means the 49ers will travel to Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

"If that's how it goes, it's the fairest way," King wrote. "Competitive equity is the key. You don't want three NFC East teams playing eight at home and the fourth playing nine at home."

Below are the 49ers' opponents for the 2021 season, with dates and times to be released later.

Home Opponents


Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Atlanta Falcons
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings

Road Opponents


Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars
Philadelphia Eagles
Tennessee Titans

Related News





Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

49ers' Brock Purdy delivers post-game speech to Iowa State women's basketball team

By David Bonilla
Mar 26

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and his new wife, Jenna, attended Sunday's college basketball game to support their alma mater, Iowa State, as they faced Stanford in the second round of the women's NCAA basketball tournament. "It means so much [to be here]," Purdy told the Associated Press. "As an alumni you're so proud to see the program do so well and going through this tournament and having the success that they've had. I've had their back. Blessed to be here to support them." However, Stanford's fans were the last ones cheering. The Cardinal beat the Cyclones in a thrilling game that featured 18 lead


placeholder image

NFL Draft: 49ers meet with OT, DB, LB at Pro Days

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

The San Francisco 49ers recently attended UCLA's and Fresno State's Pro Days, aiming to bolster their roster with promising prospects. With an eye on the 2024 NFL Draft, the team may want to add to their defensive back and linebacker positions. The 49ers observed defensive back Alex Johnson's performance in Westwood. When asked about his interactions with NFL teams, Johnson revealed, "I'm on my way to talk with the Niners right now." UCLA defensive back Alex Johnson is meeting with the San Francisco 49ers after his Pro Day in Westwood.


placeholder image

Daniel Jeremiah explains why 49ers could still address pass rush in NFL Draft

By David Bonilla
Mar 21

Mock drafts will never please everyone, especially when they solely focus on the first 32 selections without offering perspective on what might come beyond the first round. Regarding the San Francisco 49ers, analyst Daniel Jeremiah's latest mock draft was no different. He projected former Penn State pass rusher Chop Robinson to join the Bay Area team. Why the skepticism from fans? The 49ers' free agency focus has been on revamping their defensive front. After allowing Arik Armstead, Chase Young, and others to depart for other organizations, the team addressed last season's inconsistent play by adding defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, trading for defensive tackle Maliek


placeholder image

Ex-NFL WR advocates for 49ers to trade Brandon Aiyuk: "Let that man be free"

By David Bonilla
Mar 23

Brandon Aiyuk recently hinted that he might consider playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers if the San Francisco 49ers are unwilling to offer him a contract extension at market value and opt to trade him to the AFC team. Of course, that could be a negotiating tactic from Aiyuk's camp as the 49ers work to sign the receiver to a contract extension. That doesn't mean San Francisco isn't willing to talk to interested teams. The team reportedly sought the No. 17 overall pick and a player from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for Aiyuk, but no deal materialized. 49ers insider Matt Barrows of


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone