The 49ers are back in the Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Check out our staff photo coverage from Las Vegas.
Last time they were on this stage, four years ago, Mahomes engineered a fourth-quarter comeback that snatched the game away from the 49ers, who led by 10 points with seven minutes remaining.
Only eight players from that game remain on the team that will take the field Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, but several are key stars — Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Nick Bosa, among others.
The path to that Super Bowl was much simpler than this year’s run: Wire-to-wire home wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers carried the Niners to Miami. This time around, they had to make two comebacks of their own to reach the season’s final game, first beating the Packers with a late drive engineered by Brock Purdy, then erasing a 17-point deficit against the Lions by riding the momentum created by Brandon Aiyuk’s third-quarter circus catch.
Kansas City Chiefs’ George Karlaftis III (56) recovers a San Francisco 49ers fumble in the first quarter of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy throws against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) tosses the ball as he’s sacked by San Francisco 49ers’ Chase Young (92) in the first half of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Singer Taylor Swift, Jason Kelce and Actress Blake Lively watch the Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Kansas City Chiefs’ Trent McDuffie (22) breaks up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel (19) in the second quarter of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) A San Francisco 49ers fan cheers as the team warms up before the start of the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) San Francisco 49ers’ Jake Moody (4) kicks a 46-yard field goal in the second quarter of the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) San Francisco 49ers’ Javon Hargrave (98) recovers a fumble by Isiah Pacheco of the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk (44) leaps over Kansas City Chiefs defenders for a first down in the first quarter of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) San Francisco 49ers’ Chase Young (92) and San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa (97) celebrate after sacking Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) in the first quarter of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Kansas City Chiefs’ Trent McDuffie (22) breaks up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel (19) in the second quarter of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) San Francisco 49ers fans return a thrown ball before the start of the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
