49ers still processing Super Bowl loss, falling short again

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – As several San Francisco 49ers filed into their home locker rooms less than 48 hours after losing Super Bowl LVIII to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime, the enormity of the devastating loss was already evident. appeared. They just didn't want to believe it.

At one end of the locker room, defensive end Nick Bosa told reporters he needed time to process the loss before looking ahead to next season. On the other side, left tackle Trent Williams, usually one of the team's most thoughtful and thorough interviewers, didn't have much to say. Others — like running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and quarterback Brock Purdy — described their upcoming grieving process.

Everyone — including coach Kyle Shanahan — had refused to revisit what happened at Allegiant Stadium. None were sure they could handle it anytime soon. But they made it clear that what happened in Vegas is definitely not going to stay there.

“It really hit me and then it would go away and then it would hit me again and it’s like it doesn’t even seem real,” Samuel said. “It's a different type of feeling. Like I don't even have the answer. … It's like one of the biggest heartbreaks you can deal with.”

Dealing with heartbreak has become an unwanted offseason tradition for the 49ers. It started with their loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV to conclude the 2019 season. In 2021, they came up short in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams. In 2022, they played most of another NFC Championship Game without a healthy quarterback in what became a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Each season, the Niners had taken a different, sometimes circuitous, path back to Lombardi's doorstep. Final defeat was always difficult to swallow, but it was often buoyed by the internal belief that they could come back.

It must be recognized that the Niners put these beliefs into practice. But it was Super Bowl LVIII that seemed to be hit the hardest. Not only because they lost a game that was up for grabs, but also because of the cumulative effect of previous near misses. And they might run out of chances to rectify them, at least in their current iteration.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said general manager John Lynch. “And at the end of the day, we're going to have to live our whole lives with the reality that we didn't make it this time. But I say this time because it's this time. It hurts. And in this At the moment, everyone is in mourning.

“Not only will everything be fine right away, but you understand that the only thing you can do is use that fuel to propel us forward. And that's where our mindsets are, or at least there where they will arrive at some point.”

Getting to that point might take a little longer this time given how close the Niners came to capturing the franchise's coveted but elusive sixth Lombardi Trophy. Memories of a third-quarter punt bouncing off cornerback Darrell Luter Jr.'s foot, guard Spencer Burford's missed protection against Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones on a key third down in overtime, with the Chiefs blocking Jake Moody's extra point in the fourth quarter. and countless other plays that could have tilted the game in San Francisco's favor will persist.

That's why the only player in the 49ers locker room who admitted to rewatching the Super Bowl less than two days after its conclusion was linebacker Fred Warner. The previous Super Bowl loss marked the conclusion of Warner's second season in the NFL, and he believed at the time that his team would be able to come back and get the job done in short order.

Four years and another Super Bowl loss later, Warner calls that mindset the naivety of a young player who didn't realize how difficult it is to get there or the scars a loss can leave. of a Super Bowl. Although Warner took away from his replay of Super Bowl LVIII pride in his team's efforts, he knows it won't be easy to climb the mountain again even if San Francisco – as expected – retains most of its core stars and veterans in 2024. .

“It gets easier, but it’s going to stay with you throughout,” Warner said. “What gives me hope is knowing how much this means to me, how much it means to this organization, how much it means to Kyle and the players and John, and the things that make up a championship team .

“I know we have these things. You have to act like a champion before you become champion. And so, I know it's not a question of if it's right when, and it sucks that It’s not this time.”

The when part of the equation dominates any discussion about the 49ers. Players like Warner, Bosa, Kittle, McCaffrey, Samuel and Williams are under contract for 2024 and beyond. Purdy currently has a meager cap charge of $1.004 million in 2024 and $1.119 million in 2025.

There are of course questions that need to be answered while grieving. Wideout Brandon Aiyuk is expected to receive a contract extension. The Niners would like to keep him long term but his rise (75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023) has increased this cost.

Shanahan has a handful of coaches to replace, including defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who was fired three days after the season ended. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is struggling to recover from a torn left Achilles he suffered during the Super Bowl.

From a roster standpoint, the offensive line, defensive line, and secondary need immediate attention. The receiver and linebacker aren't far behind.

For now, the players have gone their separate ways and will move on from this loss in whatever way – and schedule – they see fit. For Bosa, that means going home to Florida and taking some time off before resuming his training schedule. Kittle, Juszczyk and McCaffrey have already traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for their annual off-season getaway. Purdy is in the final stages of planning her March wedding.

Upon returning from Las Vegas, Shanahan spent his first night home watching Netflix with his family, avoiding anything that had to do with the Super Bowl. He says he won't watch it until he's “ready to do it or whenever it's necessary.” He doesn't know when that will be the case. He knows that if his team is to crack the code to finally win it all, he'll have to be back and raring to attack the next climb as soon as possible.

“It’s real,” Shanahan said. “You have to grieve. … I think our guys are still going to be hungry when they come back from this.”