After being eliminated from playoff contention, the 49ers have extended one of the oddest streaks in the NFL.
San Francisco either has missed the postseason entirely or has made the NFC Championship Game in every season for the past 22 years. (h/t Reddit user SufferingOrLife)
2003-2010: Missed playoffs
2011: Lost NFCCG
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2012: Won NFCCG, lost Super Bowl XLVII
2013: Lost NFCCG
2014-2018: Missed playoffs
2019: Won NFCCG, lost Super Bowl LIV
San Francisco 49ers
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2020: Missed playoffs
2021: Lost NFCCG
2022: Lost NFCCG
2023: Won NFCCG, lost Super Bowl LVIII
2024: Missed Playoffs
The 49ers' bizarre boom-or-bust cycle over the past two decades sharply contrasts the preceding 22 seasons. From 1980-2002, San Francisco made 18 playoff appearances, 10 NFC Championship Games and won 5 Super Bowls.
Missing the postseason this year stings for a team that was expected to make another deep playoff run. The combination of injuries and mediocre play doomed San Francisco from the start of the season. Without the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams for long stretches of the 2024 campaign, the offense never really clicked.
Defensively, San Francisco regressed in all categories, a far cry from the bruising style of play that led the franchise to three consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances.
Tough decisions await the franchise this offseason. Quarterback Brock Purdy is due for a big payday, which could make it impossible for the team to keep its current roster intact.
Now, an entire generation of San Francisco fans will have to wait another season for that long-sought-after Super Bowl victory. The 49ers have not hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy since winning Super Bowl XXIX in 1995.
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