For fans, Sunday's loss in Super Bowl LIV is going to sting for a long time, especially given how it happened. The San Francisco 49ers led 20-10 in the fourth quarter, and then the Kansas City Chiefs managed to respond with 21 unanswered points.
Fans aren't the only ones who will be haunted by the late-game collapse. It will take the players some time to get over it. They sat there at their post-game podiums with somber demeanors, which was not unexpected. Jimmy Garoppolo was among that group.
The 49ers quarterback knows the feeling will pass with time, though. He also knows his teammates will overcome the disappointment, too.
"Just the feeling in the locker room; it's an unreal feeling, something I've never felt before," Garoppolo told reporters after the game. "I'm sure none of these guys have felt before. The one positive you can take out of it is guys care about it; guys care about each other; guys care about this organization.
"A lot of good came from this year. It's hard to look at it right now and see that good, but a couple of days down the line, maybe look back on it a little bit."
Despite the loss, the future is bright for this young 49ers team. Its core of players is expected to return with just a few offseason decisions to make.
"You could see it in guys' eyes in there," Garoppolo continued. "It means something to guys. It means you've got guys who care about what they're doing, guys who care about each other. We're a young team. We've got a very bright future, so we've got to take this in stride, remember this feeling, and let it fuel us in the offseason."