Oren Burks came close to helping beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl a year ago, and now he gets another opportunity with the Eagles.
San Francisco 49ers fans are probably repeating the same words with regard to Super Bowl 59 as they did two years ago ahead of Super Bowl 57.
You know, the ones All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey said about the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles... "I hope both teams lose."
After all, K.C. and Philly are back in the NFL championship game, and Niners fans still have bad blood for both franchises, perhaps convincing many to not even watch Super Bowl Sunday and opt for the Puppy Bowl instead.
That said, there might be a small reason why San Francisco fans cheer (slightly) more for Philadelphia than Kansas City.
Eagles linebacker Oren Burks.
Burks, who spent 2022 and 2023 with the 49ers, primarily serving on special teams, joined the Eagles as a free agent last offseason and continued his reputation as a quality reserve and third-phase specialist. On top of that, the 29-year-old linebacker played integral roles in helping Philadelphia get beyond both the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders in the playoff run up to the Super Bowl.
Great for him.
After losing to the Chiefs last year in the Super Bowl with the #49ers, Oren Burks will try to win it this year with Eagles pic.twitter.com/VZuuBUeSsL
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) February 4, 2025
A year ago, when the Niners were desperately trying to fend off a surging Chiefs offense in the second half of the Super Bowl, Burks was tasked with plenty of work after San Francisco lost star linebacker Dre Greenlaw to an in-game Achilles tear.
That was a turning point, and K.C. didn't hesitate to take full advantage of Greenlaw's absence, much to Burks' dismay.
As for the 49ers, they might regret letting Burks go last offseason, especially in light of just how poorly their special teams performed over the course of 2024. While Burks' presence wouldn't have solved every single issue, one can assume he would have at least improved the unit to a degree.
The before and after were notable, helping the Niners and their fans realize he was pretty crucial for that phase of the game.
Now, even if San Francisco isn't overly pleased with the prospects of an Eagles victory in the Super Bowl, at least having Burks on the winning side would alleviate the sour taste to a small extent.