Tonight’s 49ers Monday Night Football game will have a little less suspense, as the Niners already punched their ticket to the playoffs just by scoreboard-watching on Sunday, and they’re even in the running for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Your San Francisco 49ers did not play Sunday, because they have the Monday Night Football game against the Indianapolis Colts tonight at 5:15 pm PT (KGO and ESPN). But their idle Sunday was still a productive one to celebrate, as the Chronicle reports the 49ers still clinched a playoff spot Sunday, even though they did not even play.

The 49ers are in the playoffs by virtue of the Detroit Lions’ 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, which guarantees the 49ers at least the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs. And as the Chronicle points out, the 49ers will now be going to the playoffs for the fourth time in their last five seasons (reaching the Super Bowl in 2020 and 2024).

But while the 49ers are currently the No 6 seed in the NFC playoff race, they could very easily end the season with the No 1 seed, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. This would require winning all three remaining games, but it’s on the table.

And yes, considering that the Super Bowl is being played at the 49ers Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, that would mean the 49ers playing for a Super Bowl World Championship right on their home field.

But we should note that the 49ers have spent the last month fattening up on terrible teams and cruising to easy victories. The next three games get substantially harder.

The Seattle Seahawks are the current No 1 seed in the NFC with a 12-3 record, and the 49ers play the Seahawks in the final regular season game on January 4, 2026. The Chicago Bears are the current No 2 seed in the NFC with a 11-4 record, and the 49ers face the Bears this coming Sunday, December 28. (That game just got flexed to NBC’s Sunday Night Football.)

Which means your Christmas week will be bookended by the 49ers having two big national TV games: the Monday Night Football game tonight against the Colts, and the Sunday Night Football tilt against the Bears this Sunday.

About that Indianapolis Colts game tonight, and we see above that a few Niners fans are already there in Indy. The Colts were flying high at the beginning of the season, though now are down to the emergency quarterbacking of 44-year-old literal grandfather Philip Rivers, who they desperately pulled out of retirement. Yet these crazy geriatric Colts nearly beat Seattle last week, so we shouldn’t just blow them off.

A few more scenarios above to kick around with regards to tonight’ 49ers-Colts outcome, but regardless, the rest of this holiday season will be fun to be a 49ers fan. The Niners are in a real position of privilege this December, having already clinched their playoff spot, with three whole games still remaining on their schedule.

Related: 49ers Rout a Very Sorry Tennessee Titans Team 37-24, Remain Right In the Thick of Playoff Race [SFist]

Image: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 14: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after getting a first down during the NFL 2025 game between Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)