LAS VEGAS — The silence and stillness in the 49ers' locker room after their 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII spoke volumes.
There was no music playing, very little movement and no conversations. The usual post-game ritual of players taking off their pads and showering, while apparently trying to process what just happened, will have to wait.
Toward the back of the locker room where the defense was, Fred Warner sat in a chair, facing his locker, his legs straight out in front of him, his eyes closed, his body completely motionless.
It was a stark contrast to his usual process of reviewing the stat book, reviewing the numbers and preparing for the post-game press conference. No one interrupted Warner's trance-like pose, or invaded his personal space.
Across diagonally from Warner, Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Javon Kinlaw and Javon Hargrave sat in unison, far from their lockers, in various states of undress. The cleats were thrown to the side, barefoot on the carpet as if they realized they needed to stop and give themselves a moment to breathe before moving forward.
“I was speechless,” Bosa said after the game. “I couldn't really look anyone in the eye, especially all my teammates. I could have done more. Everyone could have done more. There is not much to say at this point. It will hurt, and the waves will hit you, but that's life.
It was a roller-coaster game with multiple lead changes, plus the devastating loss of fullback Dre Greenlaw, who tore his Achilles tendon in the first half. The full-back was seen in the locker room after the game wearing a walking boot and using crutches to support himself.
As Greenlaw slowly made his way toward the exit, his teammates silently made eye contact, nodded, or gently placed a hand on his shoulder as he passed, all wanting to play well enough to win because of their defensive tone. Setter.
They all know that although many will return to the 49ers' locker room for the start of the 2024 season, this exact iteration of the roster will never be together again. It's the end of a chapter, and for some, it could mark the end of their NFL journey.
“I think we just said we want to be together tonight,” Bosa said. “The groups change every year, so you'll never be with the same group. We wanted to do it for Dre, and we wanted to do it for all the people on the line. Hopefully we can spend the night somewhere calm.”
The players weren't the only ones who felt the magnitude of the moment. The coaches and staff also sat motionless in their designated lockers, not wanting to admit that the season had already come to its unfortunate end.
While the locker room was closed for the evening to the media, coach Kyle Shanahan's family sat on a bench near the exit, the kids still despondent and teary-eyed, not even noticing Christian McCaffrey walking by.
“It hurts,” McCaffrey said after sitting at the media podium. “It hurts deeply. It's something you dreamed of when you were a kid. You worked hard for it all year and failed. I think you just have to go through all the emotions as they come, but every day you're further away from getting back to normal.”
“I don't know how long it will take. It's still fresh and it's still bad.”
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