While Week 7 of the 2024 NFL campaign features multiple high-profile games, none might be more compelling than last season’s Super Bowl rematch.
The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will square off on Sunday, roughly eight months after Patrick Mahomes and Co. took down Brock Purdy’s club to win their second straight Lombardi Trophy.
With both teams entering Week 7 in the thick of the playoff race, let’s revisit the Super Bowl history between the Chiefs and the 49ers.
How Many Times Have the Chiefs and 49ers Played in the Super Bowl?
The Chiefs and 49ers have won a combined 10 Super Bowls during their respective franchise histories.
San Francisco has brought five Lombardis, tied for second-most in NFL history behind the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers. Kansas City has claimed four titles, tied with the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants.
The Chiefs and 49ers have faced each other 16 times. The clubs’ first matchup — on Dec. 6, 1971 — featured Len Dawson tossing a touchdown pass to guide KC past John Brodie’s 49ers. All told, the Chiefs lead the 49ers, 9-7, in their all-time series.
The Chiefs and 49ers have faced off in two Super Bowls, both within the past five years.
Mahomes won his first Super Bowl against the 49ers after the 2019 season. The Chiefs had taken down the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round and the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship to reach Super Bowl LIV.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Garoppolo and Co. posted a 13-3 regular-season record, tied for the best mark in the NFC. Kyle Shanahan’s team then beat the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers in the playoffs to advance to the Super Bowl.
The 49ers took a 20-10 lead with 2:35 remaining in the third quarter of Super Bowl LIV but left too much time for Mahomes to work his magic. The Chiefs scored 17 unanswered points — a Travis Kelce catch, a Damien Williams catch, and a Williams run — to seal the victory and give Mahomes his first Lombardi.
Of course, that Super Bowl wouldn’t be the last time San Francisco gave up a double-digit lead to Kansas City in the sport’s biggest game.
Revisiting Most Recent Chiefs and 49ers Super Bowl
While Mahomes and Andy Reid still headline the Chiefs when they faced the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII earlier this year, Kyle Shanahan was dealing with a new face under center.
Purdy, 2022’s Mr. Irrelevant who’d taken over for Garoppolo at the end of his rookie campaign before guiding the 49ers to an NFC title game appearance, was now San Francisco’s starting quarterback.
Purdy was coming off an outstanding sophomore campaign in which he threw for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while leading the NFL in EPA per dropback. Christian McCaffrey had just won Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Purdy also had WRs Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and TE George Kittle at his disposal.
San Francisco finished 12-5 during the regular season but had to fight tooth and nail to advance to the Super Bowl. The 49ers escaped with a tight victory over the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round, then overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit to beat the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs were hardly a powerhouse during the regular season. Instead of relying on a Mahomes-led offense that ranked just 15th in scoring, Kansas City leaned on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, which allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL. The Chiefs faced one of the most difficult postseason paths in recent memory to advance to the Super Bowl, taking down the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens.
Skip 3rd down, beat man to man, and block Chris Jones 🗣️
Belichick on how the 49ers can learn from a few Super Bowl key plays ahead of their Chiefs rematch @InsideTheNFL pic.twitter.com/y82SDFXGde
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms)
San Francisco jumped out to a 10-0 lead after CMC hauled in a 21-yard TD pass from WR Jauan Jennings on a trick play. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a short field goal just before halftime to bring KC within three points heading into the third quarter.
Butker hit another FG midway through the third before Mahomes found WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 16-yard TD. Jenning made it 16-13 49ers when he scored on a pass from Purdy with 11:22 left in the fourth quarter.
Butker and 49ers kicker Jake Moody traded field goals before Mahomes got Butker in position to make a game-tying field with three seconds remaining. With the score 19-19, the Super Bowl went into overtime for just the second time in NFL history.
San Francisco won the OT coin toss. Shanahan opted to receive, arguably a mistake given the NFL’s altered playoff overtime rules, which allowed each time to possess the ball. Some 49ers players admitted they weren’t aware of the league’s revised postseason OT regulations.
Purdy and the Niners drove to the Chiefs’ 9-yard line before being stopped on a third-and-4. Shanahan called for a field goal, giving San Francisco a 22-19 lead — and allowing Mahomes a game-winning opportunity.
Mahomes and the Chiefs subsequently authored a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mecole Hardman, giving Kansas City its third Super Bowl trophy in five years.
Could the Chiefs and 49ers Play Again in Super Bowl 58?
Absolutely. While the Chiefs and 49ers have had their ups and downs in 2024, both clubs remain squarely in the thick of the playoff race entering Week 7.
Kansas City is undefeated, even if it doesn’t feel like Mahomes and Co. have played well enough to get to 5-0. The Chiefs have lost RB Isiah Pacheco and WRs Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown to serious injuries. While they aren’t connecting on explosive plays, KC is uber-consistent and ranks No. 1 in offensive success rate (51.2%).
San Francisco is also dealing with severe injury issues. McCaffrey hasn’t played this season while battling Achilles tendinitis. Jordan Mason ranks second league-wide in rushing yards as CMC’s replacement but hasn’t offered the same pass-catching production as the reigning OPOY.
Other 49ers skill players, like Samuel and Kittle, have missed time. Meanwhile, LB Dre Greenlaw hasn’t suited up this year after tearing his Achilles in February’s Super Bowl. San Francisco recently lost DT Javon Hargrave to a season-ending triceps injury, while Talanoa Hufanga is on IR for at least the next month.
Despite their injury struggles, the Chiefs and 49ers remain among the class of the NFL.
According to PFN’s Playoff Odds, Kansas City has a 99.9% chance of making the postseason. They’re two games up on the rest of the division and are unlikely to face legitimate competition from the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, or Las Vegas Raiders.
San Francisco has stumbled to a 3-3 record, losing two divisional games it probably shouldn’t have against the Los Angeles Rams (Week 3) and Arizona Cardinals (Week 5). The 49ers got back on track with a 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6 and have a 55.1% shot of making the playoffs.
Shanahan’s club will face the NFL’s fourth-hardest schedule over the rest of the season. Even if they can take down the Chiefs on Sunday, San Francisco still faces a gauntlet over the ensuing six weeks:
- Week 8: vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Week 9: BYE
- Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 11: vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Week 12: at Green Bay Packers
- Week 13: at Buffalo Bills
The 49ers will also play the Miami Dolphins in Week 16 after QB Tua Tagovailoa has presumably returned from the NFL’s concussion protocol. In Week 17, the Detroit Lions present another daunting opponent.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ remaining schedule is the NFL’s 11th-easiest. While Kansas City has a much clearer shot at the playoffs, the 49ers have too much talent to ignore despite their .500 start.
Another Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl might not be the most likely outcome next February, but it’s certainly within the range of possibilities.
