Can 49ers finally get over the Super Bowl hump in 2024?
They wasted very little time in doing so by making significant adjustments to the team and are now looking ahead to another Vince Lombardi Trophy run.
By Tee Epps
Although Super Bowl 58 is a distant memory to most, it's still pretty fresh in the minds of the guys who fought valiantly that evening in February and even for those who remain faithful to the Bay!
2023 was nothing short of a special season, indeed. However, since the job was incomplete, that empty void will continue to be felt until the San Francisco 49ers are knocking on the proverbial door yet again.
Of course, it seems like San Francisco will continue to be in the mix for the foreseeable future because of its incredibly well-built roster. Despite having arguably one of the best rosters in football during the 2023 season, the Niners still couldn't seal the deal which can be agonizingly painful and hard to recover from.
Another important note to consider is the fact that San Francisco has lost to the same team during the same big-game event back in 2019. Since 2017, head coach Kyle Shanahan is winless versus Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, which includes regular-season matchups as well.
It's an unfortunate occurrence for Shanahan and the 49ers because that's the only obstacle standing between them and being dubbed as a "new-era dynasty." Their recent achievements since 2019 have been quite remarkable, to say the least. If it weren't for a couple of injury-riddled seasons (2018 and 2020), Shanahan and the Niners would've most likely captured that elusive title by now.
Nevertheless, as the sun rises on another year of NFL football, San Francisco has already begun its reloading process.
The first move on their "to-do" list was to release former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. He joined the 49ers at the start of 2023 when he replaced current Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. It wasn't that much of a horrible season for Wilks and the defense, but the inability to maximize this team's talent while remaining consistently dominant was ultimately the deciding factor.
Now that passing game specialist Nick Sorenson has been promoted to defensive coordinator, we'll see how well he'll jell with new assistant coach Brandon Staley.
Along with a few new faces amongst the coaching staff, the 49ers be joined by a host of new players as well.
Free-agent acquisition, defensive end Leonard Floyd, headlines the roster changes to bolster an already stacked defensive line. Once again, general manager John Lynch and coach Shanahan continue to put emphasis on solidifying a strong defensive front.
Since 2019, the defense has consistently finished among the top 10 in league ranking and will look to return to form in 2024.
Meanwhile, the offense looks to get a spark after the first-round NFL Draft addition of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who'll look to carve out a niche in Shanahan's talent-loaded offense.
Will the changes be enough to get past a team like the Chiefs?
Stay tuned.