The 49ers were beaten by Sam Darnold early in 2024, and he'll reportedly have the chance to do the same in Week 1 this year with the Seahawks.
Veteran quarterback Sam Darnold gave both the San Francisco 49ers and specifically fellow QB Brock Purdy a lot of credit for helping revitalize his otherwise floundering career.
Back in 2023, when he spent his lone season with the Niners, Darnold served as Purdy's No. 2 under center, scantly seeing any meaningful snaps but at least learning the intricacies of head coach Kyle Shanahan, which subsequently turned into an opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings the following year.
A career-best year in Minnesota, which included defeating San Francisco early in the season, translated into a sizable three-year free-agent deal with the 49ers' NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, in 2025.
This guaranteed Darnold would face his one-time employer at least twice this season.
And, if one NFL schedule rumor proves to be true, fans of either rival team won't have to wait long to see it.
Sam Darnold, Seahawks rumored to host 49ers in Week 1
With hours counting down to the official 2025 NFL schedule release, Dave Mahler of Seattle's KJR 93.3 FM radio said he was "hearing" the Hawks would host the Niners to kick off both teams' regular-season schedule in Week 1:
Hearing the Seahawks will open the season vs the 49ers at home on 9/7
Official announcement comes tomorrow
— Dave “Softy” Mahler (@Softykjr) May 13, 2025
Checking in with our FanSided friends over at 12th Man Rising, it sure seems as if Mahler is a legit outlet for such rumors and not someone who'd throw false information out there.
If true, this Week 1 NFC West showdown would feature yet another Darnold-versus-Purdy bout, only adding in the twist of a rivalry between two teams that don't exactly like each other.
Now, it's arguably a bit unfortunate to see the two teams play up in Seattle so early in the season, as fans have grown somewhat accustomed to San Francisco visiting Lumen Field later in the year, typically around November.
But, hey. Rivalry games right out of the gate never hurt, and it'll be entertaining to see a (probable) 4 p.m. ET game between the two NFC West squads that feature two signal-callers who know each other well.
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