Why the 49ers Should Watch Super Bowl LV

"I will be back here with a vengeance."

That is what George Kittle said this time last year as it became clear to him that the 49ers were going to lose the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.

Unfortunately for him and the 49ers, that "vengeance" could not be enacted this year. Too many injuries and some errant play was too much for the 49ers to even sniff the playoffs. Quite a shame because seeing this team contend for a Super Bowl at full-strength would have been something.

Since the 49ers missed out on the Super Bowl this year, their feelings from losing that game could have diminished. Or at the very least tapered off given the fact that there has been substantial time passed since they were in it.

But that is why the 49ers should watch Super Bowl LV.

It is not to enjoy the phenomenal matchup between the Chiefs and Buccaneers. It is to remind themselves of where they should be. To reopen the wound and the pain that they suffered as the clock was counting down to their demise in Super Bowl LIV.

Make no mistake -- the 49ers will be looking to contend for the Super Bowl again in 2021. They have to. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are entering Year 5 of their regime. And while their contracts do not necessarily make the pressure intense, they still have to make a serious run. Their team with a starting-caliber quarterback can make the playoffs. It is just a matter of if they can make the Super Bowl.

There are still lots of moving pieces surrounding the personnel of the 49ers, but one thing is for sure. They can set the tone now for 2021. Watch Super Bowl LV to invoke that "vengeance" feeling again. Some players, especially players who were in playoff contention, actually do not like to watch the Super Bowl. A lot of players want to unplug or don't fully tune into the game.

For the 49ers, they should force themselves to watch it. They should feel like they had a missed opportunity again in 2020 despite all of the challenges. They should have been back in the Super Bowl. I thought they were going to before all of the injuries.

They must make up for it in 2021.