Super Bowl Opening Night: Five 49ers Moments Fans Might Have Missed

The San Francisco 49ers donned their Super Bowl tracksuits and strolled into Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium on Monday night, some gazing around the packed venue, others with phones in hand trying to capture the type of moment NFL players often can only hope to experience.

In a matter of days, the Niners will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. But there were other matters to attend to first.

Players and coaches from both conference-champion teams scattered across the playing surface to field questions on Super Bowl Opening Night. And, naturally, it was easy for Travis Kelce (and Taylor Swift) or Patrick Mahomes to steal the show. But on the San Francisco side of things, George Kittle, Brock Purdy and company had plenty to say that may have gone overlooked.

Here are five moments from opening night that 49ers fans might have missed.

Kittle Weighs In on WWE Controversy

Kittle isn't just San Francisco's All-Pro tight end but a professional wrestling aficionado. And the biggest story in the sport at the moment is Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson seemingly taking Cody Rhodes' spot as the challenger to Roman Reigns at this year's WrestleMania—a move that has been reviled by fans.

And soon after Kittle's arrival at his opening night podium, he was asked to weigh in.

"We're starting off hot and I love it," Kittle said. "That is the question I've been wanting.... It's funny, you see everything online and everyone is talking about, 'We want Cody,' or it's Roman and the Rock. You know what, I'm a huge Cody Rhodes fan. I like Roman Reigns.

"The Rock, hey, he coined the term 'the People's Tight End,' so I'm indebted to the Rock. Huge fan of him. Honestly, my dream would be kinda like a setup: Roman shows up—I saw this online—signs a contract. Cody is on the other side. The Rock referees.

"Wouldn't that be fun and special? Let's make it fun and interesting. That was not my own idea, but I thought it was really cool," Kittle said.

Brock Purdy Attempts SpongeBob Impression

Super Bowl quarterback? Check. "Mr. Irrelevant?" Check. Cartoon impressionist? Oddly enough, check. Purdy showcased a hidden skill set when two Nickelodeon correspondents asked the QB to do his best on-the-spot imitation of the famous sponge from Bikini Bottom.

The results drew laughs from everyone near the microphone. But did Purdy sound like SpongeBob? Take a listen on X (formerly Twitter).

Kittle vs. Kelce, Off the Field

There's been plenty of discussion leading up to Super Bowl Sunday about which star tight end participating in the game—Kittle or Kelce—is superior on the field. But child reporter extraordinaire Jeremiah Fennell took things in a different direction. The 11-year-old went one-on-one with Kittle to determine how the tight ends stack up off the field.

Fennell threw some random topics Kittle's way, and the five-time Pro Bowler was tasked with determining if he or Kelce received a point.

"Who has the better beard?" Fennell asked.

"Me, because it's red. It's gingery," Kittle said.

"Who has the better sense of humor?" Fennell asked.

"He's pretty good," Kittle said.

"OK, tied 1-1. Who has the better swag?" Fennell asked.

"I'm pretty unique," Kittle replied. "I'm basically just wrestling and shoes. He does a lot."

"Who can throw the best party?" Fennell asked.

"I throw Kittle Fest every year, so I'm gonna take myself on that one," the tight end said.

"Who would win in a 40-yard dash?" Fennell asked.

"Me," Kittle answered quickly.

"And finally, my last question," Fennell said. "Whose significant other is going to get more attention during the game than the actual player?"

"Ha, that's funny," Kittle said. "I think the obvious answer is to probably go with Travis."

Fennell hit on some other Super Bowl points with the 30-year-old, including what San Fran's offensive game plan would be on Sunday. Kittle's answer? Give Christian McCaffrey the ball a lot, a point he relayed to Fennell with a smirk on his face.

Before departing for a different interview, the young reporter asked Kittle to sign his hat. When the tight end couldn't find anything to write with, he jokingly admonished the other writers in the scrum around him for not using pens or paper anymore.

Shanahan Sets Babysitting Record Straight

The Denver Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII 25 years ago this week, with Mike Shanahan as head coach and Ed McCaffrey as wide receiver. It marked the duo's third time hoisting the Lombardi Trophy together—twice in Denver and another in San Fran. Heading into Super Bowl LVIII, the Niners have the sons of both fueling their championship hopes.

The Shanahans and McCaffreys were reunited last season when the 49ers and coach Kyle Shanahan traded for All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. And against the Chiefs on Sunday, they will seek to do what their fathers did.

But before that, the younger Shanahan offered some backstory on this full-circle-moment. The 44-year-old 49ers coach recalled in Vegas on Monday night his first encounters with the McCaffrey family, including Christian and his three brothers, from back when his father coached.

And that included some babysitting clarifications.

"His dad was my hero," Shanahan said. "I cut my shoes like him. I wore my shoulder pads like him.... I've always loved Ed. I just knew he had a bunch of crazy boys, and they all just would play tackle football outside the games together and killed each other all the time. It was hard to tell what the difference [between them].

"Everyone acts like I babysat them, but that was my sister."

49ers Players Humbled by Super Bowl Trip

As easy as Mahomes makes it look, getting to the Super Bowl (let alone winning one) is an achievement most NFL players dream of without ever accomplishing. And until recently, that included some notable 49ers veterans. Twelfth-year safety Tashaun Gipson is about to finally experience Super Bowl Sunday, as is All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, 35, and various others on San Francisco's roster who weren't around for the 2019 run.

And the weight of the moment hasn't been lost on them.

"I'm happy for myself, but I'm happy for guys like Trent as well and the [other] guys who have never experienced this," Gipson said.

"A lot of guys who have been here since [2019] obviously have been able to enjoy success like this," he continued. "But to be here in the Super Bowl—over a decade of not being here—it feels different. It tastes different. It's just so different. I'm so humbled and I'm thankful right now."