The “Super Bowl hangover” phenomenon tends to affect most losing teams of the big game but hit the San Francisco 49ers hard in 2024. Coming off a disappointing 6-11 season, Brock Purdy claims the 49ers were victims of fatigue.
Without Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey for most of the season, many believed injuries were the cause of San Francisco’s letdown performance. However, Purdy thinks the aftermath of a Super Bowl loss took a bigger toll on the team.
“Last year, man, guys were tired,” Purdy said on the “Built 4 More” podcast. “That season is no joke. You go from July, training and everything all the way to the end of February. Then you really get five weeks off or so, and you gotta report back, and then you’re going again. It’s like, dude, guys are tired, they’re still beat up. For these guys getting older, it’s not easy.”
Purdy said that he felt “spoiled” with the 49ers making the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. He admitted to taking the Super Bowl and playoffs for granted and learning a tough lesson the hard way.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, did not have any of the same issues. The Chiefs began the year winning their first 10 games and made their way back to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Kansas City fought its way to a third straight Super Bowl appearance but fell flat in the final game, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brock Purdy still looking for 49ers extension
As Purdy and the 49ers prepare for an attempted rebound season, the two sides continue to negotiate a potentially lucrative extension. Purdy, a former “Mr. Irrelevant,” remains the lowest-paid starting quarterback in the league ahead of the final year of his rookie contract.
Despite the 49ers’ intention to pay their franchise quarterback, the two sides still appear far from an agreement. Purdy reportedly seeks nearly $40 million per year in his next deal, a term San Francisco is evidently hesitant to dish out.
The 49ers prepared for the extension by clearing its roster in the offseason. The team did not make many free agent acquisitions, instead releasing veterans Leonard Floyd , Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins. San Francisco also rid itself of Deebo Samuel’s deal by trading him to the Washington Commanders.
While Purdy does not appear to be holding out, the 49ers continue to find themselves in offseason contract drama. They previously went through this process with Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, the latter situation occurring in 2024. In each scenario, San Francisco ended the fiasco by eventually paying its players the amount they desired.
