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2017 NFL Schedule: 49ers Opponents Announced for Next Season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:53 p.m. ET

Fansided, Peter Panacy/FanSided via Niner Noise

The San Francisco 49ers know who they’ll be facing in 2017. While the actual schedule is a ways away, Niner Noise takes a look at the list of opponents the team will face next year.

As Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee pointed out, the Carolina Panthers’ Week 16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons ensures the Panthers finish last in the NFC South this season.

The San Francisco 49ers, also to finish last in the NFC West, will host Carolina at some point in the regular season.

Eric Branch of SFGate.com also broke down the Niners’ non-divisional schedule for 2017:

#49ers 2017 non-division home schedule:
DAL, NYG, JX, TEN, CAR
49ers 2017 non-division road schedule:
PHI, WASH, HOU, IND, CHI

— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) December 26, 2016

The Dallas Cowboys will return to Santa Clara for the second time in as many years. Meanwhile, San Francisco will visit the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field for the third consecutive season.

And an interesting note will be whether or not head coach Chip Kelly is still with the Niners in 2017. If so, his return to Philadelphia to face off against the Eagles should be interesting, to say the least.

It will also be good to have a revisit with former Niners running back Frank Gore, if he’s still with the Indianapolis Colts next year.

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San Francisco also has six NFC West games — the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals — with a home-and-away series for each.

The 2017 schedule is notably easier than the one San Francisco faced this season. CBS Sports’ John Breech listed the Niners’ 2016 opponents as boasting the toughest strength of schedule, along with the Atlanta Falcons, this year.

Perhaps the 49ers can take advantage of it.