Honestly, the NFL scriptwriters are getting a little predictable. If you wanted a high-stakes, rainy, "hatred-is-real" kind of matchup for the next San Francisco 49ers game, you couldn't have picked a better spot. The Niners are headed to Lumen Field to face the Seattle Seahawks this Saturday, January 17, 2026. It's the Divisional Round. It’s 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX. And it's basically a collision course between a team that refuses to die and a Seattle squad that finally looks like the juggernaut they’ve been trying to build for years.
The vibes in Santa Clara are... complicated. On one hand, you’ve got a team coming off a gritty, come-from-behind 23-19 win over the Eagles in the Wild Card round. On the other, the injury report looks like a CVS receipt.
The Rematch Nobody in SF Wanted (But Everyone is Watching)
Let’s be real: Week 18 was ugly. The 49ers went into that game with a chance to steal the NFC West and ended up losing 13-3 in a game that felt even more lopsided than the score suggested. Seattle officially grabbed the No. 1 seed and the bye week, while San Francisco got a plane ticket to Philly.
Now, the next San Francisco 49ers game is a direct rematch of that defensive slugfest. Seattle is currently a 7-point favorite. That’s a big number for a playoff rivalry game. But when you look at how Mike Macdonald has that Seahawks defense playing—ranked best in the league for scoring defense (17.2 points allowed per game)—you start to see why the Vegas folks are leaning so hard toward the home team.
Seattle hasn't hosted a playoff game with fans in the building in nine years. Think about that. The "12th Man" is going to be deafening.
Breaking Down the Injury Nightmare
You can’t talk about the next San Francisco 49ers game without talking about the training room. It’s bad.
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- George Kittle is out. Losing the People’s Tight End to an Achilles injury during the Eagles game is a massive blow. He’s the heart of the blocking scheme and the ultimate security blanket for Brock Purdy.
- Fred Warner is officially ruled out. This is the one that hurts. He tried to practice this week, but that ankle just isn't there. Without Warner patrolling the middle, Sam Darnold (yeah, that Sam Darnold) is going to have a much easier time finding passing lanes.
- Ji’Ayir Brown is out. The safety depth is being tested to its absolute limit.
There is a silver lining, though. Trent Williams is back. He missed the Week 18 loss to Seattle with a hamstring issue but looked solid against the Eagles. If Purdy is going to have any prayer of navigating the Seattle pass rush, he needs the blindside protected by the best in the business.
The Sam Darnold Factor
It’s weird to type this in 2026, but Sam Darnold is having a legitimate "Year of the Renaissance." He threw for over 4,000 yards this season. He’s leading the No. 1 seed. He’s also dealing with an oblique injury that kept him limited in practice, but he told reporters on Friday he’ll be "ready to go."
The 49ers’ strategy is pretty transparent: make Darnold beat you under pressure. Without Bosa at 100% (he’s been playing through a lot) and without Warner, the Niners have to rely on guys like Eric Kendricks and Garrett Wallow to stop the run and force Seattle into 3rd-and-longs.
Keys to an Upset at Lumen Field
If San Francisco is going to pull this off, they have to stop trying to be the "finesse" team. The rain is expected to be a factor, and the grass in Seattle gets slick fast.
1. The "Jake Tonges" Element
With Kittle out, look for Jake Tonges to be the "X-factor." In the last few games where Kittle was limited, Tonges has been a target monster. He’s not Kittle, but he’s reliable in the short passing game. Seattle actually struggles against tight ends, allowing some of the most receptions in the league to the position.
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2. Christian McCaffrey’s Volume
McCaffrey is going to have to carry the ball 25+ times. Period. In the Week 18 loss, the run game never got going. If the Niners can’t establish the line of scrimmage early, the Seattle crowd will just swallow them whole.
3. Purdy’s Quick Game
Brock Purdy has struggled recently when forced to hold the ball for more than 2.5 seconds against this Seattle front. Kyle Shanahan needs to dial up the screens and slants to Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall (who is questionable but likely to play).
What the Betting Lines are Screaming
The total for this game is sitting around 44.5 or 45. That screams "Under." Both of these teams know each other too well. Expect a lot of punting, a lot of field goals, and a lot of stressed-out fans in the fourth quarter.
If you’re looking for a silver lining for the Niners, consider this: Road teams in divisional rematches have a weirdly good record against the spread in the playoffs (about 70% recently). The pressure is entirely on Seattle to prove their regular-season dominance wasn't a fluke.
The winner of the next San Francisco 49ers game moves on to the NFC Championship to face either the Rams or the Bears. If the Niners win, they’ll be on the road again. If Seattle wins, they stay home. The stakes are massive.
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How to watch the game:
- Kickoff: Saturday, Jan 17, 2026, at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST.
- TV Channel: FOX.
- Streaming: FOX Sports App, FuboTV.
- Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA.
Pack a raincoat if you're heading North. It's going to be a long, loud night in the Pacific Northwest.
Actionable Takeaways for Game Day
If you are planning to follow the next San Francisco 49ers game, here are a few things to keep an eye on as kickoff approaches:
- Monitor the Inactives: Keep a close eye on Ricky Pearsall’s status 90 minutes before kickoff. If he’s a no-go, the 49ers’ wide receiver depth becomes dangerously thin.
- Watch the Weather: Check the wind speeds at Lumen Field. High winds favor the Niners' short-passing game and Christian McCaffrey over Sam Darnold’s deep shots to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
- Live Betting Strategy: If the 49ers can survive the first quarter without falling behind by more than 7, the value on the moneyline usually shifts. Seattle tends to start fast at home, but the Niners showed against the Eagles that they are built for second-half adjustments.
- Jersey Watch: The 49ers will likely be in their standard road whites. Interestingly, they've had better luck in those lately than their alternate throws.
The path to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara ironically requires a victory in the loudest stadium in the NFL. It’s an uphill battle, but in the playoffs, the 49ers have a habit of making things interesting when everyone counts them out.