The San Francisco 49ers’ Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears felt more like a final preseason game than a late-season battle between a franchise on the rise and a team with Super Bowl aspirations — and for good reason.
On Sunday, the 49ers fielded a team full of players who saw extensive action in the Niners’ fourth game of the 2018 preseason. The NFL’s last preseason game is usually a mostly meaningless contest between roster longshots — and a game that may soon cease to exist due to complaints from fans, and efforts by the NFL itself.