Why did the 49ers ask for uniform change for Week 5 game and why did the NFL deny it?

Due to what appears to be a matter of protocol and process, the 49ers have been denied an opportunity to switch up their attire for Sunday’s game. To that end, it may be that the team is about to fall victim to that which nobody can do anything about, the weather.

49ers uniform switch denied with temperatures soaring

If you take a casual look at the forecast for Sunday’s game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, it will quickly become evident that the teams are set to play in scorching temperatures. Indeed, with a high of 100 degrees and a kickoff temperature in the high 90s, the Week 5 clash has all the makings of a truly undesirable experience for those involved.

With that, we come to a not-so-nice development for the home team in that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan explained to reporters on Friday that the team has been denied the possibility of switching from their white uniforms to red for the contest that will take place in Northern California. As things stand, the team will be permitted to wear white pants with its throwback uniforms, but nothing that’s as far as the NFL is willing to go. As for why that is, Shanahan explained that it’s down to when such requests are made.

“We asked on Monday, and we weren’t allowed to do it,” Shanahan said to the media. “You had to (request) it before the season started. So in order for us to do it, we’ve kind of got to make like a conscious decision or a commitment before the year that we wear all whites until like 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.”

If you’re wondering, the highest previous temperature for a game played in Santa Clara, California at Levi’s Stadium was 88 degrees. With the above-mentioned temperatures forecasted for a game that kicks off at 1:05 p.m. ET i.e., the middle of the day, expect this one to be a heated affair, quite literally.