The NFL playoffs for the 2023 NFL season are right around the corner. The San Francisco 49ers earned the first seed in week 17 following their win over the Washington Commanders and a Philadelphia Eagles loss against the Arizona Cardinals. This of course means the 49ers earned the first round bye. There is a lot of value in earning the bye week, and here is a look at why.
49ers First Round Bye: Rest
It is late in the season and every team in the league is feeling it. This has been a season plagued with injuries for every team, which makes earning the first round bye week that much more important. It gives the healthy players time to rest and be full strength, and the injured players an extra week to recover. Earning the bye in week 17 gives some of the players two extra weeks.
The 49ers are getting pretty banged up, especially at the safety position. Clinching the number one seed early means more time for the players to heal up. Both Tashaun Gipson and Ji’Ayir Brown are missing the week 18 game. If this game mattered for seeding it would be pretty hard on the team missing these guys. While they still will be missed, this week’s game is giving other guys a chance to get a heavy amount of reps, and the starters time to recover.
Defensive tackle, Arik Armstead has missed a ton of time late in the season with a foot injury. The defense has been feeling it while defending the run, but clinching the first seed gives Armstead an extra two weeks of rest without stress. Hopefully, he will be back by the divisional round. Numerous other players have been getting banged up, such as Christian McCaffrey, who will utilize this time off to rest his calf and be ready for playoffs. Clinching the first round bye early is a huge benefit for this team.
San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (23) – Terrell Lloyd/San Francisco 49ers
Sam Darnold Practice Reps
It was announced early after week 17 that Sam Darnold would get the week 18 start over Brock Purdy. This means Purdy will be getting two weeks of rest. In a meaningless game for the 49ers, Darnold getting the start can prove valuable. What if, and no one wants this to happen, Purdy goes down with an injury during the playoffs? Even if it is for just a couple of plays. The 49ers know that feeling all too well, and Darnold playing this weekend could be useful.
While the hope is this never happens, if Darnold needs to play, he will not be coming off of the bench without game experience. Yes, he’s come into games, such as against the Baltimore Ravens, but a full game can help, and the 49ers can see what he can do with this team.
This also gives Purdy extra rest. There are some fans concerned about this, but in another what-if scenario, what if one bad hit in a meaningless game hurt Purdy? Fans would then be mad. Purdy is still practicing, he is not just sitting on his couch in these weeks off. Most likely, he will still go through game warmups as well. He will be listed as the third quarterback, such as Brandon Allen does each week. While he will not be playing, he will still go through the normal game routine. Rust should not be an issue for Purdy in the playoffs following the first round bye week.
San Francisco 49ers QB Sam Darnold (14) – Loren Elliott/Getty Images
Week 18 Depth Gets a Chance
While all the starters except for a few will still be active for the 49ers, it can be expected that they will be pulled, and there will be a chance to see how the depth pieces do. One of the many reasons that this is important is because many of the depth pieces are younger players, especially on the defense in the secondary.
Deommodore Lenoir and Charvarius Ward have been solid players for the 49ers this year. Ambry Thomas as he has gotten more playing time has also been improving. But after those three, maybe there are other players who need some playing time, such as Samuel Womack III. Many fans have been looking forward to seeing him grow as a player Looking at the depth in game action is definitely a bonus to earning the first round bye back in week 17.
San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle (85) and Chase Young – Kym Fortino/San Francisco 49ers
In week 18, the Los Angeles Rams are also resting starters. It may not be the most entertaining game, but that is not the point. The 49ers have two weeks to prepare their bodies for the playoffs. They will come into the divisional round rested, which is something that has proved useful to the team this season. Health is wealth when it comes to any team, but especially the 49ers. Earning this first round bye was crucial, especially with how early they clinched the number one seed.
