3 49ers Schedule Factors That Will Actually Matter (and 2 That Won’t)

There’s much to unpack with the San Francisco 49ers’ 2026 regular season schedule.

Several factors on their schedule stand out a lot. However, only a few of them matter, while a couple of others are superficial. Let's dive into it.

What matters

Feb 3, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; The logo for the 2026 NFL Melbourne game at the Super Bowl LX media center at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Traveling to Australia

The NFL going all the way to Australia is incredibly insane. And unfortunately for the 49ers, they’ll be one of the first teams to experience it. The travel and time change will take a toll on them.

Facing a great team like the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 only worsens. But arguably the biggest negative of traveling to Australia is the aftermath. The 49ers will likely struggle getting accustomed to being back home.

It might take some time. Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins screams “trap game” for them. It’s an opponent that they should easily handle, but due to the travel, they can possibly open the season 0-2.

Midseason Bye Week

Last year, the 49ers didn’t have their Bye Week until late in the season. Week 14, to be precise. No team wants their Bye Week that late, but the 49ers made the best of it.

Thankfully, the NFL hooked them up this year. Their Bye Week is in the middle of the season in Week 8. That’ll be a great halftime/reset before they make their second-half push towards the playoffs.

December Thursday game

Just as much as teams hate late-season bye weeks, they can’t stand late-season Thursday night games. The 49ers were hooked up with a midseason Bye, but have to play a mid-December Thursday game in Week 15.

That’s a brutal setup. On the one hand, they only have to travel to Los Angeles. On the other hand, it’s against the Chargers, who I expect to be pretty sweet next season. It’ll be tough for the 49ers.

What Won’t Matter

Air miles each team will travel this season, via @billsperos: pic.twitter.com/oxd4dja4tD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 13, 2026

Total travel miles

The 49ers will travel the most air miles in the NFL by far. 38,105 to be exact. Seeing that has caused some gripe from fans on social media, but it’s unnecessary whining.

The travel miles were always going to be extremely high for the 49ers once it was revealed in February that they’d play in Australia and Mexico. That alone was always going to place them high up.

A lot of the miles come from those two destinations alone, so it’s overblown. Other than the trip to Australia, the travel won’t have a significant impact on the 49ers.

Three of the final four games are on the road

Playing three of the final four games on the road would generally be rough for any team. Yet, a close look at the opponents doesn't make it a big deal for the 49ers.

Two of the road games are to Los Angeles and Phoenix, with Los Angeles an unofficial home game for the 49ers. The other road game is to Kansas City, which the 49ers will have a few days to rest for.

That's the only rough game for them since it's likely going to be played in frigid temperatures. Aside from that, the travel is a non-factor.

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