San Francisco 49ers Suites

Fans in the Bay Area greeted the 2018 season with a renewed sense of optimism following an inspiring end to the 2017 season. New life was breathed into the team when former NFL player John Lynch was tabbed to become the new general manager for the team. He was tasked with finding the next Head Coach and chose Kyle Shanahan, an innovative football mind with a pedigree rooted in a familial lineage linked to the history of the game. In fact, Kyle’s father, legendary Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan, was Lynch’s Head Coach in Denver. Kyle Shanahan had most recently worked as the Offensive Coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.

His first season was off to a rocky start, as the 49ers would lose nine out of their first 10 games in 2017. Heading into December, it looked like the team would be unable to make any quantitative progress in Shanahan’s first year. However, it would seem that the progress they were looking for was just one player away. Organizations are always looking for that one spark that can jumpstart the whole team. The 49ers found that spark when they called on Jimmy Garoppolo to start for them at quarterback. Acquired via a blockbuster mid-season trade with the New England Patriots, Garoppolo was on the sidelines for the first few weeks of his tenure with the 49ers, but burst onto the scene with a five game winning streak to finish the season. Salvaging the final record and reinvigorating the fan base, the 49ers decided to heavily invest in their new QB. A huge offseason deal was announced that will keep Garoppolo in the Bay Area through 2023 to the tune of $137.5 million. Looking to protect their investment, the 49ers used their 2018 first round pick (number nine overall) on Mike McGlinchey, a strong offensive tackle out of Notre Dame. McGlinchey would do all he could to make sure that Garoppolo stayed upright and keep his uniform clean.

The high expectations for 2018 were crushed just three weeks in as Garoppolo would leave with a knee injury, later to be confirmed as an ACL tear which would end his season. The team would fall into a tailspin without a solid QB and was quickly relegated to the bottom of the standings.

Garoppolo would be ready to take the field for the start of the 2019 season and this team took off like a rocket. Finishing the year at 13-3, the 49ers secured an NFC West championship and would earn a bye in the playoffs. Facing off against Minnesota in the Divisional Round, the 49ers rolled right on through by a score of 27-10 to face the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship. Garoppolo attempted only eight passes, but that was enough as Green Bay had no answer for the ground game. Raheem Mostert ran for 220 yards and four touchdowns on the way to a 37-20 victory. A matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl is all that would stand between this team and football immortality.

This monster of a game had San Francisco leading most of the way. Kansas City’s defense held tough, but Garoppolo and the 49ers offense managed to put up 20 points while their defense stifled KC. However, the fourth quarter turned on San Francisco as the Chiefs hit back for three touchdowns to take the lead and the game. A final score of 31-10 in favor of Kansas City would send the 49ers home brokenhearted. However, this team showed a tremendous amount of promise and could very well find themselves back in this big game again soon.

Going with a running back by committee, the 49ers have spread the wealth among Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Matt Breida. The receiving corps has solid talent in Deebo Samuel and added to it by selecting Brandon Aiyuk out of Arizona State with the 25^th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. 49ers tight end George Kittle may be the best in the league right now and always makes himself available for Garoppolo. Defensively, Richard Sherman drives opposing quarterbacks crazy as he patrols the outfield with Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa bringing a tenacious pass rush. Fred Warner works out of the linebacker position and led the team in tackles in 2019. Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw out of South Carolina is aiming to add to this group. Taken 14^th overall in the 2020 draft, Kinlaw will give his all on the grid iron for the 49ers.

There is a history of success in the Bay Area from which to draw inspiration. San Francisco has won five Super Bowls in their history. Three were under the Hall of Fame Coach Bill Walsh, and two more under his successor, George Seifert.

Notable players to have laced up in the iconic red, white, and gold uniforms include some of the best the NFL has ever had to offer in Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott, and Roger Craig. For more about the San Francisco 49ers and their history, click here.