49ers legend shares major worry after Super Bowl heartbreak

During an appearance on San Francisco sports radio station 95.7 The Game, 49ers legend Steve Young explained that he believes the club squandered an ideal opportunity to win the Super Bowl earlier this year. 

Per Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area, Young suggested that the 49ers had a direct path to the Vince Lombardi Trophy in part because San Francisco was far and away the best team in the NFC West last season. 

"In the playoffs, you play a [Green Bay Packers] team that's been middling the whole time, you got an upstart [Detroit Lions] squad," Young said. "And you're like, 'That's how we get to the Super Bowl?'"

Of course, the 49ers didn't coast to the Super Bowl LVIII showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco needed a late touchdown to beat the Packers in the divisional round and trailed the Lions 24-7 at halftime of the conference title game. 

In the Super Bowl, the 49ers held a 22-19 overtime lead but couldn't stop Patrick Mahomes during what became that contest's final drive. Young noted that he thinks the 2023 49ers "just weren't the same" following their 33-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas. 

"We held Patrick Mahomes to 19 points," a seemingly frustrated Young said. "If you were to tell me Patrick Mahomes won't score three touchdowns, we're not going to win that game? We're not going to walk over the Packers, we're not going to walk over the Lions? Things were haywire from Christmas on and that's why last year was the time with the best roster in football to go get it done."

NFL Network's Bucky Brooks wondered if San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan will struggle getting his players to properly refocus considering the team has lost a pair of Super Bowl matchups and two conference championship games since February 2020. Young is worried that clubs throughout the NFC improved this offseason while the Niners are largely running it back. 

"What just happened was a big miss," Young added. "It just was. It's too bad."

As of Thursday, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Niners second among the betting favorites at +600 odds to win Super Bowl LIX. Many clearly believe San Francisco still has the goods to ascend to the mountaintop, but the team's window to win it all may be closing with quarterback Brock Purdy likely on track to sign a massive contract extension next offseason.