How the 49ers are the Gatekeepers for Winning a Super Bowl

The 49ers deserve a thank-you note or some flowers for certain teams winning the Super Bowl in recent memory.

Nov 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan during the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

It's a gutpunch for the San Francisco 49ers to witness the Seattle Seahawks win a Super Bowl in their own stadium.

No team ever wants to see its most hated rival accomplish that. However, the 49ers did have their chances twice against the Seahawks. They just couldn't conquer the beast.

Instead, the 49ers acted as a perfect test and challenge for the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl. In fact, the 49ers have been that way for the last 25 years with teams that end up winning the Super Bowl.

The 49ers are Super Bowl gatekeepers

Nov 21, 2022; Mexico City, MEX; San Francisco 49ers Chief Executive Officer Jed York gestures prior to the NFL International Series Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteca. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Eight of the last nine teams that have eliminated the 49ers from the playoffs have won the Super Bowl. That includes beating the 49ers in the Super Bowl, like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.

If you want to filter it with only the NFC teams, then five of six teams have gone on to win the Super Bowl after bouncing the 49ers from the playoffs.

The one team that didn't win it all was the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. Still, they went on to appear in a Super Bowl. The 49ers are the gatekeepers of winning or appearing in a Super Bowl.

They are the four-leaf clover in the players. It's like a power-up boost in a video game. By defeating the 49ers, a team unlocks the ability to at least make it to a Super Bowl and likely win it all.

It's insane that the 49ers have acted as a stepping stone for teams to win a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, they can't even win one themselves during their last nine playoff trips.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10), makes a catch on third and fifteen, for a critical first down against the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Feb. 2, 2020. [BILL INGRAM/The Palm Beach Post] Super Bowl Kansas City Chiefs Vs San Francisco 49ers | Bill Ingram / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In any case, this is an indicator of how tough the 49ers are in the playoffs. Defeating them means the opposing team has championship mettle.

The 49ers force their opposition to be at their best. They bring out the best in the other teams. Otherwise, anything less than that will cause them to lose and allow the 49ers to be victors.

For the most part, that's true. The last two Super Bowl losses for the 49ers were their own doing. They shot themselves in the foot repeatedly in those games.

The opportunities to be Super Bowl champions have been there for the 49ers. But it seems they're the most gracious team in the NFL, as they help teams become champions instead.

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