Rams' Hated Rival 49ers Officially NFL's Biggest Disappointment

The San Francisco 49ers were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, much to the delight of Los Angeles Rams fans.

Dec 22, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) talks to his teammates before a play against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Last winter, the San Francisco 49ers appeared on the verge of a potential dynasty. They were clearly the best team in the NFC and came this close to beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl before Patrick Mahomes outlasted them in overtime.

Fast forward to December 2024, and he 49ers are singing a different tune.

San Francisco was officially eliminated from playoff contention before it even played its Week 16 matchup with the Miami Dolphins, one that it lost by a score of 29-17.

The Niners fell to 6-9 on the season, guaranteeing them a losing campaign.

It has been an absolutely disastrous several months for the 49ers, who have dealt with contract disputes, countless injuries, sideline altercations, locker room drama and weird rumors of a potential Kyle Shanahan trade.

San Francisco entered the 2024 campaign boasting arguably the most talented roster in all of football. The Niners looked absolutely loaded.

And you know what? On paper, they still look really darn good.

But something was clearly wrong here right from the jump, and it snowballed into making the 49ers the most disappointing team in the NFL this season.

Where does San Francisco even go from here?

Do the Niners run it back? Do they blow up the roster? Do they hand Brock Purdy a megadeal or will they go in a different direction?

There are a whole lot of avenues the 49ers can explore this coming offseason, and none of them look particularly appealing. At least not right now.

San Francisco doesn't exactly have the best financial situation at the moment either, so genuinely improving the roster will be a tall task in the spring.

The Niners could always just bank on the fact that they'll be okay once they're healthy in 2025, but it doesn't really seem like it will be that simple.

Something has fractured in the Bay. Maybe Shanahan has lost the team. Maybe the rest of the NFC has caught up. Or maybe things have just gotten stale?

It could also be a combination of all of those factors, but one thing is for sure: the 49ers will not get their rematch with the Chiefs his February.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE