The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2024 season with high expectations, determined to rebound from their heartbreaking Super Bowl LVIII overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Inside the locker room, the mindset was clear: it was time to finish the job and finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Instead, the 49ers stumbled to a 6-11 record, finishing last in the NFC West and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Injuries played a significant role, but the physical and emotional toll of multiple deep playoff runs also seemed to catch up with the team, resulting in an uncharacteristic—and unexpected—losing season.
For veterans like linebacker Fred Warner, the disappointing 2024 campaign was a harsh reality check. After all, winning had become second nature for this group, and deep postseason runs were no longer just a goal—they were the standard.
Warner reflected on the humbling season during The Pat McAfee Show this week in New Orleans, ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
"It's different when you've only experienced losing because that's the standard," Warner said. "We've developed a standard of winning. We've been to NFC Championships year after year, two Super Bowls. Obviously, haven't surpassed the mountaintop to hoist that trophy, but we're so close.
"And so, this was the season. This was the one we were going to do it, and then all of a sudden, everything falls into shambles, and it's like, 'Damn, I thought we were past this.' Like, my rookie year, I think we only won like [four] games. I thought we were past this."
"Losing humbles the hell out of you..
You learn from it and we'll be back next year"@fred_warner #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/tuDn96ZUxp
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 5, 2025
Warner had only experienced two losing seasons before 2024—his rookie year in 2018 and an injury-riddled 2020 campaign, another instance in which the 49ers finished with six wins. Every other season, he had at least reached the NFC Championship Game.
"It humbles the hell out of you," Warner continued. "And you learn from it, and then you grow from it to ultimately get back next year."
The 49ers are already laying the groundwork for a 2025 rebound, determined to prove that 2024 was nothing more than a temporary setback. The return of Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator is a key move aimed at re-establishing the defensive identity that once made the unit one of the most respected in the NFL.
Armed with the 11th overall pick and expecting an additional nine selections in the draft, the 49ers have an opportunity to inject young talent into their roster, setting them up for years of future success.