Jerry Rice doesn't see the 49ers losing a third straight NFC Championship Game.
San Francisco enters the 2023 NFL season having lost back-to-back title games. However, Rice believes that after two consecutive heartbreaks, the 49ers will advance to the Super Bowl LVIII.
And Rice doesn't just believe the 49ers will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl; he expects coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. will lift the Lombardi Trophy in February 2024.
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"We should win it all," Rice told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco on the latest episode of "49ers Talk" from the American Century Championship golf tournament at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort.
"That should be the main focus. [The 49ers] know they have all the pieces to the puzzle. The expectations are very high, and we should win it."
San Francisco's calling card is on defense, and the 49ers' defensive line became even scarier for opposing offenses after the addition of Javon Hargrave this offseason. Nonetheless, there's one question surrounding the team, and it's under center.
Brock Purdy continues to work his way back from a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Purdy is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation, and if he replicates his production from his rookie season, the 49ers won't have many glaring weaknesses.
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Rice's belief in his former team doesn't seem too far-fetched, considering what the 49ers have at their disposal on their roster.