Joe Staley was the only 49er playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl that also played in their Super Bowl loss to the Ravens in 2013.
The 35-year-old finished his 13th season with another Super Bowl loss, and got emotional in his postgame press conference as he talked about falling short of a Lombardi Trophy again.
“I’m sorry, this is super disappointing,” he said via David Lombardi of the Athletic. “This is very hard being in this moment right now. You put your heart and soul and entire life into trying to be a super bowl champion. You get to the end of your career and you realize how rare these opportunities are.”
Staley has been through a lot of highs and a lot of lows for San Francisco, and even contemplated retirement after their abysmal 2016 season, but was rejuvenated by the addition of head coach Kyle Shanahan and a shifting locker room culture in San Francisco.
He signed a two-year extension in the offseason that’ll keep him under contract through the 2021 season.
While the 49ers appear to be trending in the right direction, it’s far from a guarantee Staley will get another shot at a Lombardi Trophy. It’s the one thing missing from a stellar career for the 49ers’ left tackle, who has six Pro Bowl selections.
It’s also not a guarantee Staley returns for the 2020 season. He dealt with a broken fibula, a dislocated finger, and then got a cut on his finger in the Super Bowl that required four stitches.
If Staley does come back though, the 49ers will at least be in contention to be back in the postseason over the next couple seasons if they play their cards right in the offseason.