In one year, the San Francisco 49ers went from the No. 2-drafting team in the NFL Draft to the NFC champions in the Super Bowl, a massive turnaround from a four-win team to the elite crop of squads ready to compete again for another NFL championship.
Unlike 2019, though, the Niners are no longer flying under the radar. There won’t be any additional “they haven’t played anybody” or “they’re pretenders” arguments this upcoming season.
Instead, teams facing San Francisco in 2020 will be matching themselves up with one of the league’s best.
That alone presents some challenges, yes.