San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner is getting tired of losing Super Bowls.
The superstar defender was in his second season when the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in February 2020. Then, he was an integral part of a San Francisco squad that fell to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl again this past winter.
Both defeats sting.
“Yeah, not fully over it for sure. That one is going to sting for a long time. I’m not even over the first one,” Warner said during an appearance on NFL Network. “So, I’m sure this last one was like three months ago? I’m still not over it. Those things stay with you. In this league, you earn scars throughout the league. You face adversity losing a Super Bowl and of course as big as adversity that you could hit, and it stays with you.”
Each of the two losses were heartbreaking, too. The Niners blew 10-point leads against the Chiefs both times, and in the most recent defeat, the 49ers fell in overtime.
But Warner is attempting to channel the losses positively.
“It makes you stronger, it makes you better,” Warner said. “I know I’ll be better from it. I’ve watched it several times and seen different plays we could have made to win that game. You just got to be better next time. It’s not a matter of if in my mind, it’s a matter of when, when we do go win one.”
Warner is coming off of a fantastic 2023 campaign in which he racked up 132 tackles, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions, four forced fumbles and 11 passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at BYU, was selected by San Francisco in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
He has already made three trips to the Pro Bowl while earning First-Team All-Pro honors twice.
The Niners are considered favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl once again heading into next season and have actually been labeled as championship favorites by the oddsmakers.
Still, right now, the Chiefs are clearly the team to beat, as they have won back-to-back titles. We’ll see if Fred Warner and the 49ers can get another shot at them next February.
