The NFL does the 49ers no favors with the schedule for the next round of the playoffs.
The San Francisco 49ers expected their reward for a stunning Wild Card upset to be more than just a ticket to the Divisional Round.
Instead, the team walked away from its dramatic 23-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, facing another obstacle, a compressed turnaround that has left the organization frustrated with the NFL’s scheduling choices.
After knocking off the reigning Super Bowl champions on the road Sunday, San Francisco quickly learned it would be back in action on Saturday, traveling to Seattle to face a familiar rival.
The decision eliminated any chance of a whole recovery week, something head coach Kyle Shanahan had openly hoped the league would provide following the cross-country trip.
Shanahan didn’t mince words when asked about his preference for a Sunday game.
He made it clear that the extra rest mattered, especially given the physical toll the season has taken on his roster.
That request, however, went unanswered as the NFL confirmed the matchup would be played on Saturday evening rather than pushing it to Sunday.
The league later announced a 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time kickoff at Lumen Field, a déjà vu setting for both teams.
It’s the same time slot and opponent the 49ers faced in Week 18, a game that ended in a lopsided 13-3 loss.
Now, San Francisco must return to Seattle under even more challenging circumstances, doing so on limited rest while preparing for its third meeting with the Seahawks in just over a month.
The frustration deepens when examining the rest of the divisional slate.
The Rams and Bears, both of which played on Saturday during the Wild Card round, were granted a Sunday game this week.
From a competitive standpoint, shifting that matchup to Saturday would have allowed San Francisco a full seven days to recover a luxury they haven’t enjoyed in weeks.
There is accountability on the 49ers’ side as well. As a sixth seed, San Francisco surrendered many scheduling privileges by failing to secure the NFC’s top spot.
A Week 18 win over Seattle would have meant a bye and avoided this situation entirely. Still, the accumulation of short weeks has raised legitimate concerns inside the organization.
This weekend will mark the third short week San Francisco has endured in four weeks.
Dating back to a Monday night road game in Indianapolis, followed by a Sunday night contest against Chicago and a Saturday matchup with Seattle in Week 18, the 49ers will have played five games in a 26-day window.
Meanwhile, Seattle has played just three games during that same span.
The timing is particularly harsh for an injury-riddled roster. George Kittle’s season-ending Achilles injury against Philadelphia only adds to a lengthy list of absences that includes Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Ricky Pearsall.
San Francisco has already lost 263 player-games to injury this season, one of the highest totals in the league.
If the 49ers are going to keep their postseason hopes alive, they’ll need to overcome more than just the Seahawks. Once again, they’ll be battling the calendar itself.