This year’s Super Bowl may not be an easy one for San Francisco 49ers fans given the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, but there’s a silver lining in that not many former 49ers will be in the game.
The Chiefs have knocked the 49ers off twice in Super Bowls during Kyle Shanahan’s tenure as head coach, and they’ve mounted comebacks to win both.
On the other side the Eagles have become a rival for San Francisco with both clubs battling for NFC supremacy over the last few seasons. Philadelphia knocked the 49ers out in the 2022 NFC championship game, but the 49ers got some revenge in Philadelphia the following regular season. The talking was loud leading up to the NFC championship and afterwards.
The good news is there’s not a ton of former 49ers who got away to play in Sunday’s game. A bevy of former 49ers playing might have just added insult to injury.
However, only one player from each team figures to feature prominently in the contest.
Linebacker Oren Burks, who struggled in Dre Greenlaw’s stead in last year’s Super Bowl, latched on with the Eagles and is on track to play a significant role in the Eagles’ LB corps.
He spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the 49ers and primarily contributed on special teams. He did rack up 84 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception and two pass breakups.
For Kansas City, defensive lineman Charles Omenihu is still there after signing as a free agent in 2023 after being traded to the 49ers in 2021. He became a key piece of their defensive line rotation who they’ve struggled to replace. Omenihu was a versatile DL who could rush the passer effectively from the edge and the interior. He was also on the Chiefs club that beat the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
Interestingly, the Eagles practice squad features a handful of recently-failed 49ers draft picks. They roster wide receiver Danny Gray, running back Tyrion Davis-Price and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields on their practice unit. They’ve also added tight end Cameron Latu on a reserve/future deal.
None of that group figures to play in Super Bowl LIX.