49ers–Cardinals rivalry
From Kezar Stadium in 1951 to the NFC West: a closely fought series the 49ers lead 38-31.
The 49ers–Cardinals rivalry is a National Football League rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals. The teams first met in the 1951 season, after the AAFC-NFL merger, when the Cardinals were still based in Chicago, and played only sporadically until 2000. The 2002 realignment put both in the NFC West, and the series has been closely contested since. The 49ers lead 38-31; the two teams have never met in the playoffs, and the Cardinals are the only NFC team the 49ers have not faced in the postseason.
Quick Facts
- Location
- San Francisco, Phoenix
- First meeting
- November 18
- 1951; Cardinals 27
- 49ers 21
- Latest meeting
- November 16
- 2025; 49ers 41
- Cardinals 22
- Stadiums
- 49ers: Levi's Stadium; Cardinals: State Farm Stadium
- Total meetings
- 69
- Largest victory
- 49ers: 50–14 (2003); Cardinals: 47–7 (2015)
- Most points scored
- 49ers: 50 (2003); Cardinals: 47 (2015) (2024)
- Longest win streak
- 49ers: 5 (1980–1987, 1993–2002, 2009–2011); Cardinals: 8 (2015–2018)
Facts from the source article.
Background
The first meeting was on November 18, 1951, at the 49ers' home field, Kezar Stadium, where the Chicago Cardinals won 27-21 behind Charley Trippi. The Cardinals led the series until the arrival of Bill Walsh, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice in San Francisco. In between, the Cardinals moved to St. Louis and then, in 1988, to Phoenix, which made them a western team and set up the divisional rivalry that followed realignment.
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