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The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with a lot of adversity this season and in previous years. And while a good chunk of that adversity has been displayed on the field, it pales in comparison to some of the tragedies many within the franchise have faced off of it.
CEO Jed York's brother, Tony York, passed away on Dec. 7, 2018. In November of 2017, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin suffered the loss of his newborn son, then had even more family setbacks the following year. Quarterback C.J. Beathard lost his brother, Clay, in December of 2019.
Among those tragedies is another. Linebacker Kwon Alexander, who signed with the 49ers as a high-profile free agent last offseason, lost his brother, Broderick Taylor II, during Alexander's rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2015. Now, with the Niners preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, Alexander isn't shy about playing the biggest game of his career thus far in memory of his late brother.
"We're going to the Super Bowl," Alexander, speaking of him and his brother, told
Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop. "I mean, 'we.'"
Alexander was a major reason why San Francisco's defense experienced a resurgence in 2019. A year ago, the Niners ranked 28th in points allowed, also forcing a league-worst seven defensive takeaways. Bringing Alexander aboard, along with an offseason trade for EDGE Dee Ford and the team using the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on Ohio State EDGE
Nick Bosa, helped transform what was an underperforming 49ers defense into the No. 8 scoring defense in the league and the NFL's best pass defense during the regular season.
Yet Alexander had to go through some of his own major setbacks, the largest of which was a torn pectoral suffered against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 31.
That injury was expected to be of the season-ending variety. Thanks to some excellent work from the medical professionals involved, along with Alexander's own rehabilitation efforts, the 25-year-old linebacker was able to make it back for the postseason, providing that same "legendary" thump and energy he displayed prior to his injury.
Now, those traits will be back on display in Super Bowl LIV. And Alexander hasn't forgot his brother will be watching him.
"He's going to be right there with me every step," Alexander continued about his brother. "It's crazy. I wish he was right here with me, and he could really live it out. But I know he's up there living with me.
"Everybody here loves the game, so I know that moment's coming where we're going to finish it. That's when I'll be able to say that's one of the most legendary things I've ever done."
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Written by:
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, ESPN contributors have highlighted some prospects who have seen their draft stock rise throughout the evaluation process. Jordan Reid and Matt Miller pinpointed players who could hear their names called at the end of the first round.
Interestingly, both of the prospects identified by Reid and Miller play in the trenches but on different sides of the ball. The San Francisco 49ers are widely expected to draft an offensive lineman with their first selection—No. 31 overall. The team mostly ignored the group in free agency. However, it wouldn't surprise many people if the
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
