Eagles vs 49ers: Complete Rivalry History, Head-to-Head Record and Playoff Results

The Eagles vs. 49ers matchup connects two established NFL franchises whose meetings have produced memorable regular-season games, important playoff results, and contrasting offensive performances.

Philadelphia and San Francisco play in different divisions of the National Football Conference. They are not guaranteed to meet twice every season, as divisional opponents normally do. Instead, their regular-season meetings are determined by the NFL scheduling formula.

Their postseason encounters have given the matchup additional historical significance.

Philadelphia defeated San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game in January 2023. The 49ers answered with a convincing regular-season victory that December. Their next postseason meeting, in January 2026, finished with San Francisco winning 23–19 after a decisive fourth-quarter touchdown.

The rivalry spans much more than those recent contests. Its history stretches back to 1951 and includes three postseason meetings, a tie, notable quarterback performances, and games played under considerably different NFL rules and offensive systems.

This guide explains the all-time series, important historical results, playoff record, statistical differences,s and next scheduled meeting.

Last updated: September 18, 2026.

Eagles vs 49ers: Quick Facts

Category	Information
Teams	Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers
Conference	NFC
Divisions	NFC East and NFC West
First meeting	October 6, 1951
First result	Eagles 21, 49ers 14
Record	49ers lead 22–15–1
Total meetings	38
Postseason record	49ers lead 2–1
Most recent result	49ers 23, Eagles 19
Latest game date	January 11, 2026
Next scheduled game	January 3, 2027

The historical matchup database and NFL record books establish the earlier results, while the January 2026 box score supplies the latest completed meeting.

1. How the Eagles vs. 49ers History Began

The franchises first faced each other on October 6, 1951.

Philadelphia won 21–14.

That opening meeting occurred during an earlier period of professional football. San Francisco had joined the NFL in 1950 after competing in the All-America Football Conference, while Philadelphia was already an established NFL organization.

The teams represented different regions of the United States and developed through different football traditions.

Their first contest established a series that would continue through numerous changes in the league.

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Football in the early years

The NFL of the 1950s differed considerably from today’s league.

Passing strategies, substitution practices, training methods, and player specialization were less developed than modern systems.

Modern teams employ elaborate route combinations, extensive pre-snap movement,t and personnel packages designed for particular down-and-distance situations.

Earlier offenses relied on different strategic conventions.

Consequently, a victory recorded in 1951 counts in the overall series but cannot provide direct evidence of either franchise’s present-day playing strength.

Historical records are useful for establishing continuity. Modern tactical analysis requires more recent evidence.

Why the series developed historical significance

The teams did not need to compete in the same division to develop memorable encounters.

Their history gradually accumulated through scheduled regular-season games.

Postseason meetings then introduced elimination stakes.

The 1996 Wild Card contest established their first playoff result. The 2023 NFC Championship brought a Super Bowl appearance into the equation. The 2026 Wild Card game added another elimination result.

These encounters distinguish the matchup from a series defined solely by regular-season statistics.

2. Complete Head-to-Head Record

Through September 18, 2026, San Francisco leads the series 22–15–1.

The franchises have played 38 games.

Their overall record combines regular-season and postseason meetings.

Competition	San Francisco wins	Philadelphia wins	Ties
Regular season	20	14	1
Postseason	2	1	0
Combined	22	15	1

The only tie occurred during the 1956 season, when the teams finished 10–10. Their all-time results and postseason history are documented in historical records.

What the overall record actually means

The record answers a straightforward historical question: which franchise has won more completed meetings?

It establishes San Francisco’s advantage in total victories.

It does not establish how a future game will unfold.

A matchup played under different coaches and with entirely different personnel cannot be treated as a direct comparison of current teams.

For instance, a result from the 1980s reflects that era’s rosters and competitive circumstances.

A game played in January 2026 reflects a different collection of players, offensive systems,s and defensive strategies.

Both count in the historical series, but they serve different analytical purposes.

Why the postseason record matters separately

Regular-season games determine standings, playoff qualification, and potential tiebreaking scenarios.

Postseason games determine advancement.

That difference makes the playoff record useful as a separate reference.

San Francisco won the first playoff encounter in 1996.

Philadelphia won the 2023 NFC Championship meeting.

San Francisco won the January 2026 Wild Card contest.

The 49ers therefore lead the postseason series 2–1.

3. All Three Eagles vs. 49ers Playoff Meetings

The franchises have met three times in the playoffs.

Date	Round	Winner	Final score
December 29, 1996	NFC Wild Card	San Francisco	14–0
January 29, 2023	NFC Championship	Philadelphia	31–7
January 11, 2026	NFC Wild Card	San Francisco	23–19

Each game provides a different example of how an NFL postseason contest can develop.

1996: San Francisco wins a defensive contest

The first playoff meeting took place on December 29, 1996, at 3Com Park in San Francisco.

The weather was wet and windy.

San Francisco entered with Steve Young at quarterback and Jerry Rice among its primary offensive players.

Neither team scored during the first quarter.

Young eventually put the 49ers ahead with a nine-yard touchdown run.

Philadelphia then produced scoring opportunities but failed to convert them.

Interceptions ended two promising Eagles drives during the second quarter.

San Francisco extended its advantage through a three-yard touchdown reception by Rice.

The 49ers’ defense protected the lead and completed a 14–0 shutout.

The victory advanced San Francisco to the divisional round.

The official 49ers historical media guide confirms the weather, scoring details, and defensive performance.

What made the game distinctive?

The contest remains the only shutout in the teams’ postseason series.

It demonstrates why total offensive movement and actual scoring must be evaluated separately.

Philadelphia advanced into threatening positions but could not finish its opportunities.

San Francisco scored twice and prevented its opponent from scoring at all.

The final margin reflected both offensive execution and defensive stops.

2023: Philadelphia advances to the Super Bowl

The next playoff meeting occurred on January 29, 2023.

Philadelphia hosted San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game for the 2022 NFL season.

Jalen Hurts started at quarterback for the Eagles.

San Francisco started rookie Brock Purdy.

Philadelphia opened the scoring with a six-yard rushing touchdown by Miles Sanders.

San Francisco soon experienced significant quarterback difficulties.

Haason Reddick hit Purdy, who suffered an elbow injury.

Backup quarterback Josh Johnson entered the game but later sustained a concussion.

Purdy returned while significantly limited in his ability to throw.

Philadelphia continued generating points through its running game.

The Eagles recorded four rushing touchdowns, with Sanders scoring twice and Boston Scott and Hurts contributing one each.

Philadelphia won 31–7 and advanced to Super Bowl LVII. The NFL’s contemporary reporting documents both the result and the quarterback injuries.

How should the result be interpreted?

Two facts are important.

Philadelphia won the game and earned the NFC championship.

San Francisco experienced injuries that severely restricted its quarterback options.

Both belong in an accurate historical account.

It would be speculative to claim that a different injury situation would necessarily have produced a different result.

The established score is 31–7.

The injury circumstances provide relevant context without changing that result.

2026: A late San Francisco victory

The third postseason meeting occurred on January 11, 2026.

San Francisco visited Philadelphia for an NFC Wild Card game.

Demarcus Robinson opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown reception from Purdy.

Philadelphia responded with a one-yard touchdown run by tight end Dallas Goedert.

A missed extra point left San Francisco leading 7–6.

During the second quarter, Hurts found Goedert for a nine-yard touchdown.

The Eagles moved ahead 13–7.

Eddy Piñeiro responded with a 36-yard field goal for San Francisco.

Philadelphia led 13–10 at halftime.

A 41-yard field goal by Jake Elliott extended the Eagles’ advantage to 16–10 in the third quarter.

San Francisco’s offense then produced two decisive fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey.

Philadelphia briefly regained the lead on a 33-yard Elliott field goal.

Purdy answered with a late touchdown drive, finishing it with a four-yard completion to McCaffrey.

San Francisco won 23–19. The scoring sequence and quarter-by-quarter results are documented in the official records.

The result gave San Francisco a 2–1 lead in the postseason series.

4. Other Important Regular-Season Games

The playoff encounters are only part of the history.

Several regular-season games help explain the modern relationship between these teams.

The 2020 meeting

Philadelphia visited San Francisco on October 4, 2020.

The Eagles won 25–20.

The result became part of their recent West Coast history and provides a reference point for the next scheduled game in Santa Clara.

September 2021

The teams met in Philadelphia on September 19, 2021.

San Francisco won 17–11.

That meeting preceded their January 2023 conference championship encounter.

It also showed that games between the franchises could develop into lower-scoring contests.

December 2023: The regular-season rematch

The December 3, 2023 game received attention because Philadelphia had defeated San Francisco in the conference championship earlier that year.

The 49ers returned to Lincoln Financial Field with Purdy available throughout the contest.

Philadelphia initially led 6–0.

San Francisco then scored 14 points in each of the remaining three quarters.

The final result was 42–19 in the 49ers’ favor.

The result contrasted sharply with the previous playoff game.

However, the two outcomes were recorded in different competitions.

Philadelphia’s January victory earned a Super Bowl appearance.

San Francisco’s December victory contributed to its regular-season campaign.

A later regular-season victory does not reverse an earlier postseason result.

Both remain independent parts of the historical record.

5. How the Modern Matchup Has Changed

Recent meetings have featured different offensive challenges and changing game circumstances.

Philadelphia has demonstrated the ability to produce significant rushing yardage through its running backs, offensive line, and quarterback-related concepts.

San Francisco has generated production through passing plays, formation adjustments,s and versatile skill-position players.

The January 2026 Wild Card game provides an instructive example.

Philadelphia rushed for 140 yards.

San Francisco gained 286 net passing yards.

The Eagles controlled possession for more than 35 minutes, yet the 49ers generated more total offensive yards.

These differences help explain why total rushing production or possession time cannot independently determine a game’s outcome.

Offensive efficiency

San Francisco gained 361 total offensive yards in the January 2026 game.

Philadelphia recorded 307.

The 49ers averaged 6.2 yards per play compared with the Eagles’ 4.3.

That difference indicates greater yardage production relative to the number of offensive plays.

San Francisco generated more yardage despite running fewer plays.

The official Eagles box score confirms the overall yardage and possession statistics.

The importance of turnovers

Purdy threw two interceptions during the contest.

Philadelphia did not commit a turnover.

Ordinarily, recovering possession without allowing the opposing offense to complete a drive can create valuable opportunities.

However, turnovers must be evaluated alongside the resulting field position and points scored.

Philadelphia’s turnover advantage did not translate into enough scoring to secure the victory.

San Francisco still produced the decisive touchdown.

Third-down performance

The 49ers converted six of 11 third-down attempts.

The Eagles converted five of 16.

Third-down efficiency reflects an offense’s ability to extend drives.

A team that repeatedly fails on third down may struggle to maintain possession even when it generates successful plays elsewhere.

The difference in conversion rates contributed to San Francisco’s overall offensive efficiency.

6. Players Who Have Shaped Recent Meetings

Several individual performances have influenced the modern history of the matchup.

Brock Purdy

Purdy’s experience against Philadelphia includes the injury-affected 2023 NFC Championship Game and the January 2026 postseason victory.

During the 2026 meeting, he completed 18 of 31 passes for 262 yards.

He threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions.

His late four-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey gave San Francisco the decisive lead.

The performance illustrates why quarterback analysis should consider both mistakes and successful possessions.

Jalen Hurts

Hurts led Philadelphia during its 2023 conference championship victory.

In the January 2026 Wild Card game, he completed 20 of 35 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown.

He did not throw an interception.

Philadelphia nevertheless struggled to generate the same level of passing production as San Francisco.

Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey scored both of San Francisco’s fourth-quarter touchdowns in January 2026.

He recorded 48 rushing yards and 66 receiving yards.

The touchdowns came on passes from Jennings and Purdy.

His receiving contributions demonstrate the value of a running back who can function in multiple offensive roles.

Saquon Barkley

Barkley rushed for 106 yards on 26 carries in the same playoff game.

His performance helped Philadelphia generate 140 total rushing yards.

The Eagles’ rushing advantage was substantial, but San Francisco’s late scoring ultimately determined the result.

Dallas Goedert

Goedert scored both Philadelphia touchdowns in January 2026.

One came on a one-yard rushing play.

The other came on a nine-yard reception from Hurts.

His contributions illustrate how a tight end can be used in different goal-line situations.

The official game book and box score record the individual statistical lines.

7. Why This Matchup Continues to Attract Interest

Several factors distinguish the series.

The teams compete in the same conference, making their games relevant to NFC standings and postseason competition.

They have also eliminated each other from the playoffs.

Philadelphia’s 2023 victory sent it to the Super Bowl.

San Francisco’s 2026 victory ended Philadelphia’s postseason.

The teams have produced contrasting results, including a defensive shutout, an injury-affected championship game, a high-scoring regular-season contest, and a close Wild Card finish.

These events provide distinct historical narratives.

They also demonstrate that no single game defines the complete series.

8. When Is the Next Eagles vs. 49ers Game?

The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 3, 2027.

Philadelphia will travel to San Francisco for Week 17 of the 2026 NFL regular season.

Detail	Scheduled information
Date	January 3, 2027
Host	San Francisco 49ers
Visitor	Philadelphia Eagles
Venue	Levi’s Stadium
Location	Santa Clara, California
Kickoff	8:20 p.m. Eastern
Broadcaster	NBC

Both official team schedules list this matchup. NFL scheduling procedures may still affect the final arrangements.

Fans should check the official schedule close to kickoff.

Starting lineups, injuries, and active-player lists must also be confirmed separately.

Historical results provide background information but cannot establish what will happen in the next contest.

Frequently Asked Questions