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Donte Whitner Claims 49ers "Played Against the Refs" in the Super Bowl

Former 49ers safety Donte Whitner believes that the Chiefs were not the only opponent that the 49ers were facing in the Super Bowl.
Jose Sanchez|
Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is
Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is | Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

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San Francisco 49ersKansas City Chiefs

The San Francisco 49ers are roughly two months removed from their heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Facing off against the greatness of Patrick Mahomes is just unfortunate for the 49ers to keep on dealing with. However, former 49ers safety and NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Donte Whitner believes the 49ers didn't just face Mahomes and the Chiefs.

On Monday, Whitner appeared as a guest on the Up and Adams show with Kay Adams where he claims that the refs played a part in the 49ers losing the Super Bowl.

"I think that the 49ers played against the refs as well," said Whitner. "I think that when we look at that film and you see bear hugs onn those defensive ends, and you really see it in blatant moments in the game. The 49ers played against Taylor Swift, the refs, and the Kansas City Chiefs. All three."

Seems like Whitner has been really wanting to get that off of his chest. He says those comments unsolicited given that the topic at hand was on defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. I can't necessarily say that Whitner is wrong though.

The Chiefs do tend to benefit from favorable calls, or rather in this case no calls. Still, it wasn't the lack of calls or calls from the referees that ruined the 49ers' chances at winning the Super Bowl. So, while Whitner may have a point about that game, it wasn't a main factor into why the 49ers lost.

They had countless opportunities to seal the game and get ahead, but failed. Eventually, the greatness of Mahomes would prevail in the end after the 49ers kept him in check for most of the game.

Do you think Whitner is correct in his claim?

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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE SANCHEZ

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.

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