There was the puddle of water in the middle of the 49ers’ locker room, there was the insane scene after the win, and then there was team veteran Joe Staley saying this about the 49ers’ first win of the 2017 season.
“In the 11 years I’ve been here, this win feels just as good as winning the NFC Championship.”
The puddle came from players dousing coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch with water after the game. Gatorade baths were common in January of 2013, when the 49ers beat Atlanta to advance to Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Ravens in heart-breaking fashion.
Those are big words from Staley, who has emerged as the team’s leader in the locker room. Not only is Staley the player the media goes to after games, he overcame his fear of speaking in public and gave a speech to the team Saturday night before the 49ers’ 31-21 win over the Giants that players referenced after the game.
Staley has seen it all since he was drafted in the first round of the 2007 draft, including Pro Bowls, Super Bowls and of course losses. Before Sunday’s win the 49ers had lost 22 of their last 23 games. Their win was the first in 323 days.
Staley returned to the team on Sunday, just two weeks after breaking his orbital bone in the Philly loss. Tim Ryan, the 49ers color commentator on KNBR broadcasts, said Staley could have taken another path after his injury.
“Joe could have said I have a broken face, I am done for the rest of year,” Ryan told Murph and Mac on the morning show.
The fact Staley played wasn’t lost on his teammates, particularly C.J. Beathard who said it was meaningful to have Staley on the field and in the huddle.