LAS VEGAS — Given a chance to put the narrative that has surrounded them for most of the past five years to rest, the San Francisco 49ers instead instead funneled all of it into a much larger question after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII :
If not now, when?
These battle-tested and scarred Niners were built to win the franchise’s long-awaited sixth Lombardi Trophy , and they made bold moves over the past two years to do it. They traded four draft picks for running back Christian McCaffrey . They gave $40 million guaranteed to tackle Javon Hargrave to help plug a hole in the middle of their defense. And they found and developed 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy , whom they steadfastly believe is their long-term answer at quarterback.
Even the travails of the past four years — a blown 10-point fourth-quarter lead to Kansas City in Super Bowl LIV , an injury-ravaged 6-10 pandemic season and back-to-back disappointing losses in the NFC Championship Game — were seen inside the walls of the Niners’ facility as fuel to strengthen their resolve.