Getty The 49ers celebrate Talanoa Hufanga's takeaway on October 23, 2022.
It’s almost as if Joe Staley never truly left the locker room. He continues to send messages as a fiery voice of reason for the San Francisco 49ers, even in an analyst position now.
And his latest message he shared on the Papa and Lund Show on Monday, October 24 would surely have to fire up the current 3-4 49ers, who are entering Week 8 on a two-game losing skid. But count on the towering retired All-Pro to ignite the masses. A brief excerpt of Staley’s message was still massive enough for motivational purposes.
“Get pissed. Watch the film, be accountable, and move on on the practice field,” Staley said on the show.
Staley Shared Where it Must Get Figured Out First
Staley, who has worked with NBC Sports Bay Area alongside his former Niner teammate Donte Whitner, got a glimpse of the 49ers’ letdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, October 23 which saw the visitors roll to a 44-23 rout at Levi’s Stadium.
But before the 21-point trouncing, the 49ers were dominated in, of all places, the ground game against the Atlanta Falcons in their 28-14 road loss.
If Staley were inside the locker room, where does he begin the football version of this problem solving equation?
“It has to get figured out in practice,” Staley began.
Then, the six-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro reflected back on two of the more stout 49er teams he played on and what made them mesh on the football field.
“One of the things that I loved about those 2012 teams and even that 2019 team that went to the Super Bowl, the work was done on the practice field and in the meeting room,” Staley said.
He then shared this hope for the only franchise he ever played for.
“I hope that, and I know, that they have the leaders on the team to figure it out, but this is the time right now. It’s not the time to show up on Sundays and say, ‘We’ll get it figured out on Sundays’ — no. You’ve got to get it figured out on Tuesday,” Staley said. “Be honest and open with yourself about what you’re doing personally to right the ship. Are you holding up the standard that everybody else expects out of you, and are you gonna bring guys along? Right now, this is the point in the year when it can go a lot of different directions.”
Staley Says Great Teams Need A******s, but in a Good Way
Staley hopes there’s someone on the 49ers who become this type of player for the 49ers, but in a good way in the effort to hold others accountable.
“The good teams that I’ve been a part of have had four or five guys that are real, real a******s. They’re holding everybody accountable, and they’re getting in people’s faces,” Staley described. “Frank [Gore] was always that for us. Justin Smith was that for the defensive side of the ball…Even if we would win but the defense was giving up 28 points or 30 points, he was ripping these guys in meeting rooms, he’d be on the practice field. He talked to everybody…There was no one above the team.”
He then cited the following 49ers who “have to be that” moving forward: Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Jimmy Garoppolo, Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle, Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey. But Staley adds how “They have to be honest, too, with their own personal assessment.”
But the heart of the message? “Get pissed. Watch the film, be accountable, and move on on the practice field. That’s when you really see those teams come together,” as Staley said. He has seen the 49ers do it before.
“They’ve done it last year. They were in a similar situation, so they have the guys there, but there’s got to be a sense of urgency. There’s got to be a sense of urgency this week against the Rams,” Staley said.