The 49ers will have more than one opponent Sunday at Levi's Stadium, as their clash with the Arizona Cardinals also will include a fierce battle with a record-setting heat wave in the South Bay.
With forecasts predicting near-triple-digit temperatures near kickoff, the 49ers are pulling out all the stops to help keep their players as cool as possible under the hot afternoon sun.
Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed to reporters Friday that the 49ers requested to wear their all-white throwback uniforms but were denied by the NFL because of league-wide protocol that all teams must follow.
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"... Got the memo earlier in the week that it was going to be hot like this, so we asked on Monday and we weren't allowed to do it" Shanahan said. "You had to do it before the season started, so in order for us to do it, we kind of had to make a commitment before the year that we wear all whites until the middle of October or whatever, and then go to normal. But it's not usually this hot, so we'll probably do that now just in case."
San Francisco, however, was allowed to wear its famous red throwback uniforms from the 1994 season, which include white pants that could provide invaluable relief in the wicked heat.
"They'll let us do our throwbacks," Shanahan said. "Just alternate it with other ones. We'll get as much white on as possible, and the most we possibly can do is white pants."
Kyle Shanahan revealed the 49ers will wear their '94 throwbacks on Sunday 👀 pic.twitter.com/jShWaHJR7R
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Sunday threads ⏮ pic.twitter.com/z4QyuzigK2
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 4, 2024
After a big bounce-back win over the New England Patriots in Week 4, San Francisco seeks to continue its winning ways while wearing the uniforms it sported the last time the 49ers hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy nearly 30 seasons ago.
Hopefully for San Francisco's sake, the white pants and throwback threads give the team the needed boost to overcome a tough divisional foe and a record-setting heat wave.
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