The San Francisco 49ers are accustomed to playing in big games. They’ve made a trip to the NFC title game in four of the last six seasons and are rightfully considered a perennial championship contender.
Considering how poorly Super Bowl 54 went, Super Bowl 58 carries extra weight. For established superstars that fell just short last time against the Kansas City Chiefs — namely, All-Pros Trent Williams and Nick Bosa — it’s a chance at redemption. In time, it might even be a coronation for Kyle Shanahan, the NFL’s finest offensive mind and play-caller who has been to this stage multiple times but never gotten over the hump.
But these are stories that will only be sorted out on Super Bowl Sunday. We have time to digest them.
For now, it’s worth tracking how San Francisco made it back to the biggest event in American sports. Let’s look at the three smartest decisions the 49ers made that helped lead them to Las Vegas for the 2024 Super Bowl.