49ers well aware that Super Bowl LX is in Santa Clara: ‘That's the dream scenario'

San Francisco Chronicle​

4 days ago

Forty years after the San Francisco 49ers won a Super Bowl played in the Bay Area, this year's team is aiming to repeat history.
Levi's Stadium will host Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, and some members of the 49ers circled the date long ago.
'I think we've been talking about it since we found out two years ago,' Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk said earlier this month. 'That's the dream scenario, that it ends there. I hope that's how it works out. It's July. I've got to give you the classic: 'You can't look that far ahead. It's all about training camp in two weeks.' So that's what I'll say.'
Juszczyk laughed after offering a cliché rather than a bold proclamation. And his answer made sense given the state of the 49ers as they report to training camp Tuesday.
Four decades after the 49ers completed an 18-1 season by winning Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium in January 1985, the 2025 edition doesn't resemble a similar super team. The 49ers are coming off a 6-11 season that was followed by a loss-filled offseason fueled by finances. They parted with eight starters, a group that included linebacker Dre Greenlaw and four Pro Bowl players, and they counted backup tight end Luke Farrell as their most expensive free-agent acquisition.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan certainly wasn't talking title after the roster overhaul. In April, Shanahan said the 49ers 'took our shot' in 2024 — a season in which they kept their pricey and loaded roster intact — and indicated they could get back to chasing championships … eventually.
'I'm not enjoying it, but it's something we're going to get through,' Shanahan said. 'And I think we'll come out on the good end here in the long run.'
But the spring inspired optimism that the long run could be shorter than expected. The 49ers added 11 draft picks, including four top-100 selections, signed quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner to contract extensions, and traded for pass rusher Bryce Huff.
Their Super Bowl window is no longer wide open, but it's not like they've morphed into the Titans. Only five teams — the Eagles, Bills, Ravens, Chiefs and Lions — have better Super Bowls odds than the 49ers (20-1), according to ESPN Bet, which lists them as favorites to win the NFC West after they occupied the cellar in 2024.
Those numbers reflect this: The 49ers still employ eight players who have earned All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors since 2023.
'I think we've got a good combination of change,' Juszczyk said, 'but you've still got your centerpieces.'
The 49ers are returning nine starters from an offense that ranked fourth in the NFL in yards per game last year despite having three All-Pros — running back Christian McCaffrey, left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk — miss a combined 30 games. They have lost six starters on defense, but they still have an elite player on every level — pass rusher Nick Bos a, Warner and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir — and used their first five picks on defensive players for the first time since 1981.
In addition, they rehired former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh after firing their last two coordinators following one-year stints. Saleh's units ranked among the NFL's top five in yards allowed in his final two seasons as the 49ers coordinator (2019-20) and his last two full seasons as the Jets head coach (2022-23).
'Having Saleh back in the building is really fun because he's really good at his job,' Kittle said. 'And I'm just excited to see what he puts together. What I've loved about playing with Kyle and Saleh is they do a really good job of putting guys in position to succeed. I think he'll do a really good job of constructing our defense in a way that puts guys in position to play at a really high level.'
Kittle said the 49ers had 'elite and immaculate vibes' during their offseason program, which was well-attended and devoid of contract drama. However, that's unlikely to be the case when they report to camp Tuesday. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings will reportedly request a trade if he doesn't land a contract extension he's seeking, although the 49ers have no intention of trading him. Jennings' dissatisfaction raises the possibility that the 49ers will begin camp without their top three wideouts with Aiyuk (knee) and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) on the physically unable to perform list.
The situation evokes memories of last year's disastrous season, which was marked by injuries and contract strife. And it's a reminder of unknown challenges the retooled 49ers will face in their bid to snap their 30-season Super Bowl title drought, a quest that appears more daunting than in previous years but not inconceivable.
'I love the guys that we added,' Juszczyk said. 'I feel really good about where we're at right now.'