Joe Staley has been to two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. He retired after his last one — Super Bowl LIV. The desire to play was still there, but a "deteriorating neck injury" forced Staley to call it a career.
Staley regrets not being able to earn a championship over his otherwise illustrious career. While he's not haunted by it, he still wishes he had the accomplishment to add to his resume.
Staley wishes he had retired on a high note rather than having his final football memory be walking off the field at Hard Rock Stadium as the Kansas City Chiefs celebrated. The outcome was so close to being different. San Francisco was holding onto a lead in the fourth quarter when everything derailed.
There is still one thing that irks the six-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman about that loss. He wishes some of the calls had gone the 49ers' way.
"I've watched [the game]," Staley said Tuesday on 95.7 The Game's The Morning Roast. "It's not something that's like some painful memory. Obviously, it's a game, and I would have loved to have won that game. But, for me, even though it was my last game too, kind of looking back and watching and seeing why did we not get it done? What happened? What were the turning points?
"I think one of the turning points is that Nick Bosa never got [the calls] for holding (against him)."
That clearly frustrated Staley, as it did 49ers fans, who had to repeatedly watch Chiefs players grabbing hold of the talented then-rookie defender. Fans can probably recall one specific instance of potential holding that was not called. It may have erased what became one of the most memorable plays in Chiefs history.
But it wasn't just that play.
"They held him like 30 times," Staley added.
Bosa finished the game with three tackles, a sack, a quarterback hit, and a pass defensed.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Staley below.