Super Bowl 54: Ranking the 20 best players playing in 49ers vs. Chiefs
By Samuel Teets
Super Bowl 54 will feature elite talent from both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers and these are the 20 best players in the matchup, ranked.
Super Bowl LIV features the No. 2 from the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the top seed from the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers. The game marks Kansas City’s third total appearance and its first trip to the Super Bowl since 1970. For San Francisco, this is the team’s seventh Super Bowl appearance and its first since losing to the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
Super Bowl LIV will be a matchup between Kansas City’s high-powered offense and San Francisco’s star-studded defense. Both units possess some of the game’s best players at their respective positions. However, Kansas City’s defense and San Francisco’s offense boast stars as well.
With this season’s finale just over a week away, it’s time to look at these two teams that will take the field on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium. What better place to start than looking at the best players that will take the field, regardless of team? Let’s dive into the top 20 players that will suit up for the 49ers and Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
Honorable Mention: Emmanuel Sanders, WR, 49ers
Emmanuel Sanders knows what it’s like to play in the Super Bowl. In his rookie season, he and the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV. Then, in 2016 Sanders and the Denver Broncos squashed the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
Sanders’ contributions during the regular season and playoffs for San Francisco are mixed. He crossed the 100-yard mark in two of his ten regular-season games with the 49ers but he also failed to reach the 30-yard mark five times. Sanders did not register a catch in the NFC Championship Game.
Despite his up and down production, Sanders is a former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. He’s also an excellent complementary player to George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. Maybe the veteran will find an old spark and put on a show in Miami.