| Team: | San Francisco 49ers |
| Year: | 1961 |
| Record: | 7–6–1 |
| Division Place: | 5th NFL Western |
| Owner: | Victor Morabito |
| General Manager: | Louis Spadia |
| Coach: | Howard Hickey |
| Stadium: | Kezar Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Shortnavlink: | 49ers seasons |
The 1961 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League, their 16th overall, and their second season under head coach Red Hickey.
The 49ers attempted to improve on their 7-5 season from the previous season, and make the playoffs for the first time since 1957. However, despite starting the season 4-1, they would lose 5 of their last 8 games, finishing their season 7-6-1, and they missed the playoffs for the 4th straight year.
See also: 1961 NFL draft.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vs. New York Giants | L 20–21 | 0–1 | Multnomah Stadium | 24,084 | ||
| 2 | August 21 | Cleveland Browns | L 24–27 | 0–2 | Kezar Stadium | 38,759 | |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | W 14–10 | 1–2 | Multnomah Stadium | 27,044 | ||
| 4 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 38–20 | 2–2 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 42,558 | ||
| 5 | vs. Dallas Cowboys | W 24–7 | 3–2 | Hughes Stadium | 22,130 |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17 | Washington Redskins | W 35–3 | 1–0 | Kezar Stadium | 43,412 | Recap | |
| 2 | September 24 | at Green Bay Packers | L 10–30 | 1–1 | New City Stadium | 38,624 | Recap | |
| 3 | October 1 | at Detroit Lions | W 49–0 | 2–1 | Tiger Stadium | 53,155 | Recap | |
| 4 | October 8 | Los Angeles Rams | W 35–0 | 3–1 | Kezar Stadium | 59,004 | Recap | |
| 5 | October 15 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 38–24 | 4–1 | Metropolitan Stadium | 34,415 | Recap | |
| 6 | October 22 | at Chicago Bears | L 0–31 | 4–2 | Wrigley Field | 49,070 | Recap | |
| 7 | October 29 | L 10–20 | 4–3 | Forbes Field | 19,686 | Recap | ||
| 8 | November 5 | Detroit Lions | T 20–20 | 4–3–1 | Kezar Stadium | 56,878 | Recap | |
| 9 | November 12 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 7–17 | 4–4–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 63,766 | Recap | |
| 10 | November 19 | Chicago Bears | W 41–31 | 5–4–1 | Kezar Stadium | 52,972 | Recap | |
| 11 | November 26 | Minnesota Vikings | W 38–28 | 6–4–1 | Kezar Stadium | 48,905 | Recap | |
| 12 | December 3 | at Baltimore Colts | L 17–20 | 6–5–1 | Memorial Stadium | 57,641 | Recap | |
| 13 | December 10 | Green Bay Packers | W 22–21 | 7–5–1 | Kezar Stadium | 55,722 | Recap | |
| 14 | Baltimore Colts | L 27–24 | 7–6–1 | Kezar Stadium | 45,517 | Recap | ||
| Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. | ||||||||