May 16, 2026, 11:33 a.m. PT
The San Francisco 49ers in 2025 had a relatively light schedule when it came to facing top-flight quarterbacks.
That will change in 2026 with players like Bo Nix, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts all on the docket. However, there are a handful of teams the 49ers will face that have unsettled QB situations that could change by the time the 49ers face them.
We went through the 49ers’ schedule and found four teams that could have their Week 1 backup in as the starter when San Francisco plays them:
Week 7 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Quarterbacks: Michael Penix, Tua Tagovailoa
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It’s still undetermined who the Week 1 starter will be for Atlanta. Penix is recovering from a knee injury, but he is participating in Phase 2 of the offseason program which puts him on track to participate in a real competition with Tagovailoa. Whoever starts Week 1 may not be the starter by the time the 49ers visit in Week 7. If Atlanta gets off to a slow start, that Week 7 point at about a third of the way through the season is a good time to make a change that might catalyze a playoff push.
Quarterbacks: Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza
The Raiders may plan for Cousins to start all 17 games this season to let Mendoza sit and absorb his first NFL season. With the No. 1 pick behind Cousins, though, Las Vegas could get an itchy trigger finger if their season gets off to a rocky start under first-time head coach Klint Kubiak. If Cousins and the team are struggling at the midway point, a road game in the Bay Area where plenty of Raiders fans should be in attendance may be a good spot to let Mendoza debut before heading home to face Kubiak’s former team the Seattle Seahawks.
Week 11 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Quarterbacks: Kyler Murray, JJ McCarthy
It was a mess under center for Minnesota last season. McCarthy never found his footing in Year 2 and dealt with injuries while also struggling to consistently complete passes. Despite the issues at quarterback the Vikings still churned out nine wins. Murray joining the club gives their offense a higher ceiling. While he figures to be the Week 1 starter, it isn’t a slam dunk that he holds the starting job the whole year. Minnesota isn’t liable to be bad, but around the midpoint of the season is where they may look to make a QB change if they’re still a middling team.
Week 18 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Quarterbacks: Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck
The veteran Brissett should be the Week 1 starter in Arizona, and will likely be the starter when the 49ers and Cardinals face off in Week 3. That could change by the final week of the season if Arizona is as bad as they’re projected to be. By this point Beck, the No. 65 overall pick in this year’s draft, could very well be getting some looks as Arizona and new head coach Mike LaFleur figure out what they have in the QB room going into the 2027 offseason.
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