The 49ers will host their old friends, the Seattle Seahawks, for what should be a festive Thanksgiving night gathering at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers’ home matchup against their heated NFC West rival highlights the team’s first season in their $1.2 billion Santa Clara stadium.
In an interesting wrinkle in the schedule, which the NFL announced Wednesday, the 49ers will play the Seahawks again two weeks later on Sunday, Dec. 14, after facing the Oakland Raiders in a road game on Sunday, Dec. 7.
The 49ers open the 2014 season on Sunday, Sept. 7, on the road against the Dallas Cowboys.
The 49ers’ first regular-season game at Levi’s Stadium is scheduled for Sunday night, Sept. 14, against the Chicago Bears. Other than Thanksgiving night (Nov. 27), the 49ers do not have any mid-week games in the first year at Levi’s Stadium.
[RELATED: Two Seahawks matchups top games on 49ers schedule]
Santa Clara officials requested that the 49ers play no mid-week home games in the first year of the new stadium so they could have a year to sort out any complications with rush-hour traffic and parking.
The 49ers’ two late-season matchups with the Seahawks are notable because of the increased chances that 49ers All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman will be available for both games.
Bowman sustained a torn ACL in the NFC Championship game against the Seahawks in January. He continues to rehab his knee at the team’s Santa Clara practice facility. The 49ers are expected to place him on the physically-unable-to-perform list to open the regular season, which would make him ineligible for the first six weeks of action.
The 49ers will play a home game on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in club history. The 49ers are 1-2-1 in four previous Thanksgiving games, including a 16-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in 2011.
49ers 2014 regular-season schedule
(All times Pacific)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 7, at Dallas, 1:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 14, vs. Chicago, 5:30 p.m. (NBC)
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 21, at Arizona, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 28, vs. Philadelphia, 1:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 5, vs. Kansas City, 1:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 6: Monday, Oct. 13, at St. Louis, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 19, at Denver, 5:30 p.m. (NBC)
Week 8: Bye
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 2, vs. Rams, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 9, at New Orleans, 10 a.m. (FOX)
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 16, at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m. (FOX)
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 23 vs Washington, 1:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 13: Thursday, Nov. 27, vs. Seattle, 5:30 p.m. (NBC)
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 7, at Oakland, 1:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 14, at Seattle, 1:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 16: Saturday, Dec. 20, vs San Diego, 1:30 p.m. (CBS or NFL Network)
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 28, vs. Arizona, 1:25 p.m. (FOX)
