The morning after the Super Bowl has arrived, and the 49ers are, in the grand scheme of things, in the same place they were last season on that Monday morning. It hurt a lot more then, a brutal, gut-wrenching loss kept Niners fans up all night and cut deep for weeks to come. The Niners season has been over for more than a month now, but the Monday following the Super Bowl comes with the same bottom line. The Niners last Super Bowl title in 1994 is one year further in the rearview mirror.
Now, the good news is this year’s champion provides a blueprint that can be executed by the 49ers if they want to finally end that drought in 2025. It’s a tough pill to swallow. This Super Bowl matchup was a lose-lose for a lot of Niners fans. But if the team can hold its nose, take its medicine, and do what the Eagles did after a supremely disappointing season in 2023, the Niners can be the next team to hoist the Lombardi.
First and foremost, the trenches. Philadelphia showed just how dominant a team can be when its defensive line dominates. Niners fans don’t have to think back too far for that. The 2019 NFC championship team was largely carried by its defensive front. With Robert Saleh back in the building, why can’t the front four return to that form or somewhere close to it? (Paging Myles Garrett.)
On the other side of the coin, the Chiefs showed on Sunday night just how damaging a porous offensive line can be when facing a front like the Eagles’. The Niners have a prolific run scheme that when healthy is still one of the best in the NFL. If Christian McCaffrey returns to 100% this fall, its imperative that John Lynch and Co. put a much improved offensive line unit in front of him. Trent Williams will be back as he empties the tank on a Hall of Fame career, and rookie Dominick Puni had a stellar freshman campaign. Aaron Banks needs to stay healthy, and SF needs a clear upgrade at center. That’s the to do list for the O-line, make it happen.
Super Bowl Sunday got off to a weird start for the 49ers and their fans. Perhaps expecting a low key under the radar day of jealousy and longing, fans were instead greeted with the news that star wide receiver Deebo Samuel had officially requested a trade from the team, and the Niners seem to have reciprocated. The news isn’t a chock given Samuel’s tumultuous 2024 season, but it still hurts to know he might be the latest on a long list of 21st century 49er greats who will leave the team without a ring after coming oh so close multiple times.
Murph and Markus discussed the official trade request, how it feels for frustrated 49er fans, and what the team might seek for the multiple time All-Pro wideout.
It’s not easy to swallow your pride. But it’s clearly something that John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the Niners brass, it’s clearly something they need to do when looking at the Eagles and the Chiefs.