Following the final week of the regular season, the playoff picture for the NFC is set.
The San Francisco 49ers’ first postseason matchup is officially set, and it comes with plenty of history attached.
After the dust settled in Week 18, the 49ers locked in the No. 6 seed in the NFC and will travel east to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.
The matchup was finalized following a trio of Sunday results: the Rams’ win over the Cardinals, the Lions’ victory against the Bears, and the Commanders’ upset of the Eagles.
This will be the first meeting between the teams since December 3, 2023, when San Francisco delivered a dominant 42-19 win over Philadelphia in Week 13 of the season.
That game added another chapter to what has quietly become one of the NFC’s most compelling rivalries.
Over the past few seasons, the 49ers and Eagles have repeatedly found themselves on a collision course as conference heavyweights with Super Bowl aspirations.
Their recent history is impossible to ignore. One year before that blowout win, the Eagles eliminated the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, a contest that turned when quarterback Brock Purdy exited early with an elbow injury.
The lopsided nature of both outcomes has only fueled the tension between the two fan bases, raising the stakes whenever these teams share the field.
This postseason rematch, however, will look different. While much of San Francisco’s core remains intact, the 49ers will enter the playoffs significantly banged up.
Defensive stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are already lost for the season, dealing a major blow to a unit that prides itself on physicality and speed.
Linebacker depth is also a concern, as starters Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune both left the Jan. 3 regular-season finale against the Seahawks with injuries, leaving questions about who will be available on the second level of the defense.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, may hold a subtle but meaningful edge. The Eagles chose to rest key starters in Week 18, prioritizing health over securing a playoff seed.
That decision now appears calculated, as they’ll host a 49ers team coming off a tough, physical battle just days before the playoffs begin.
The road ahead for San Francisco is daunting. With Super Bowl LX scheduled to be played at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8, the 49ers could be required to win up to three road playoff games just to earn the chance to compete for a Lombardi Trophy on their home field.