After an exciting NFL season rife with storylines and drama, we were this close to an intriguing Super Bowl 58 matchup. We almost got Lamar Jackson, the greatest dual-threat quarterback ever, and his juggernaut Baltimore Ravens facing off against the Detroit Lions, the de facto Chicago Cubs of pro football.
Instead, it’s Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs (again) against the San Francisco 49ers (again). Bleh. How uninspired. How anti-climatic. How disappointing.
None of this is to say the Chiefs and 49ers don’t belong here. They ran through their respective AFC and NFC playoff fields and earned their keep with their conference titles. But outside of a few extenuating new factors, we already saw the Chiefs and 49ers match up in a Super Bowl in February 2020. We’ve already seen Mahomes play in the big game, his fourth in six years as a starter. We know the 49ers are largely great everywhere except at quarterback — which is more or less their same storyline from 2020!
There’s nothing refreshing or compelling about this matchup that we haven’t seen before. It’s essentially the same script with the same football figures we’ve watched for nearly half a decade. And given the Chiefs’ transition toward becoming a power offense with a strong defense, the “rematch” will probably also be more of a slog. Here’s hoping the game turns out to be competitive, let alone a classic. Many people will definitely watch the biggest sporting event in the United States, anyway.
But it sure feels like we missed out on something special in Las Vegas in two weeks, and that’s a real shame for the NFL world.
NFL fans groaned about another Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl
I think the 49ers chiefs Super Bowl is the worst possible outcome in the NFL
— timthetatman👑 (@timthetatman) January 29, 2024
above all a 49ers/Chiefs Super Bowl seems boring
— Sophia Benoit (@1followernodad) January 29, 2024
49ers and chiefs super bowl…is there a way they can both lose
— Lauren 🪻🌼🪴 (@laurenhtexas) January 29, 2024
So uninterested in another Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl.
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) January 29, 2024
Absolute worst case for the Super Bowl. 49ers Vs. Chiefs genuinely couldn’t be more boring
— Danny (@Dmar10_) January 29, 2024
WooHoo Chiefs vs 49ers Super Bowl Rematch pic.twitter.com/DAp8kLjnYt
— Brett James (@thebrettjames1) January 29, 2024
We really got a Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/I6jwz8quFs
— Andrew Weiss (@WeissHockeyTalk) January 29, 2024
Who actually wanted 49ers vs Chiefs for the Super Bowl?
Could not think of a championship with a less intriguing storyline unless you’re a fan of one of those two teams. Just lame
— Tyler Yaremchuk (@tyleryaremchuk) January 29, 2024
49ers vs chiefs Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/E38Rz76fo2
— Jabari Type Beat (@omgitsjabari) January 29, 2024
49ers vs Chiefs is the super bowl nobody wanted outside those fanbases. Pre-season favorites. Recently had this matchup. Had way better options.
It's like Bama-UGA in the title game. You want to get excited, and I'm sure it'll be a good game, but you still feel meh.
— Some.BYU.Dude (@ByuSome) January 29, 2024
This is the least excited I’ve been for a Super Bowl since
49ers chiefs
— Kaeden 📸 (@One_day52) January 29, 2024
We really gotta watch the chiefs and 49ers in the Super Bowl instead of the lions and ravens pic.twitter.com/OTEzUNg788
— Slaw (@JakeSlawetsky) January 29, 2024
