Usually the term "Super Bowl hangover" is used in discourse referring to the teams who get to the top then fail to recapture that magic in the following season. The San Francisco 49ers did not reach that pinnacle after Super Bowl LVIII, but they got all of that feared diagnosis.
Injuries and an overall team regression saw the Niners plummet down the NFC table, not only missing the playoffs but finishing fourth in the NFC West. Making the Super Bowl was never a guarantee, but a sudden fall from grace was simply unexpected.
To their credit, the 49ers have pivoted, making over their roster and coaching staff this past offseason. San Francisco let a number of expensive veterans walk in free agency and brought back Robert Saleh to fix their defense.
So instead of a rebuild, it's more of a reload for this group heading into 2025. However, former Niners safety Donte Whitner appeared on "Up & Adams" and expressed his concerns with the team having the window closed on them.
“I do believe that the 49ers’ window is closing. So many players are getting what they rightfully deserve, and that’s top contracts. But when you do that, you have to pay Brock Purdy, you start to reach for talent in other positions.”
Whitner would add his concerns with two specific areas: the offensive line and wide receiver.
“One of the position groups that they did not address was the offensive line. Yes, you’ll have Trent Williams returning, but the other four guys are really in question. And though Christian McCaffrey will be back, if there’s nobody that can block and positionally block and get it consistently up front, you’ll probably struggle running the ball.”
“You lost Deebo Samuel. Even though Deebo Samuel didn’t have his typical year last year, he was still a major piece to that offense.”
It's a pretty pessimistic way to look at this group though the concern is valid. Naturally, the truth may fall somewhere in the middle. The Niners have not alleviated their flaws but have a core of stars capable of rebounding with a young and developing group around them.
Frankly, it's hard to say the window has closed on them at this point. While the Niners have spent to keep their nucleus together, they are still only three years into the Brock Purdy experiment and have other pieces capable of taking on the burdens held by the veterans who will soon age out.
But before there is any championship talk, the Niners must show they are worthy of such discussion with a strong regular season showing to get into the playoffs.