Skip to main content

Some perks of the job are a bit better than others.

Folks treated to complimentary soft drinks in the company cafeteria may be happy, though not as happy as people working where free catered lunches are served on Tuesdays and Fridays.

And the 50% discounts on memberships to the 24-hour gym sound great until you find out that your rival’s employees have access to a concierge service that offers free tickets to movies and amusement parks.

It turns out the San Francisco 49ers are in the business of handing out perks ahead of Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs – and theirs may be the best of the bunch in the sports world.

The entire San Francisco 49ers organization is taking a road trip

The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most successful franchises in the National Football League’s post-merger era, winning five Super Bowls between 1981 and 1994. They gained a reputation as being a well-run organization both on and off the field in that Joe Montana era, never finishing with a losing record other than the strike-marred 1982 season.

But having now gone a quarter of a century without having won the NFL title game, the franchise has stepped up to make sure all its employees have the opportunity to witness a potentially great moment.

Jed York, the chief executive officer of the 49ers and nephew of former franchise owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., announced that he was flying everyone in the organization, right down to the interns, to Miami to see Super Bowl LIV.

The team can dig into its allotment of tickets to get everyone into the stadium, but the rest of the generous gesture figures to be pricey. Besides chartering planes to transport everyone coast-to-coast, the 49ers will be paying for hotels and food for hundreds of employees and their guests.

“Everyone’s been a part of this, and we wanted to make sure they’re there to help and also celebrate the moment that hopefully gets us over the hump,” York said.

Jimmy Garoppolo, Patrick Mahomes facing off

Super Bowl LIV has the potential to be among the most memorable NFL championship games. Dynasties are difficult to come by during an era in which free agency can ravage rosters, but the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are young and have gifted quarterbacks. So this could be the start of something special.

Patrick Mahomes posted a sparking 113.8 quarterback rating with 50 touchdown passes in 2018 and came back in his second full season with a 105.3 rating and just five interceptions in 484 attempts.

Jimmy Garoppolo, out from under the shadow of Tom Brady with the New England Patriots, just threw for 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns in his first full season for the 49ers. He completed 69.1 percent of his throws and chalked up four game-winning drives.

It adds up to the 49ers entourage potentially witnessing something special in Miami.

Future Super Bowl travel plans

Florida has historically been a favorite locale for the Super Bowl. This will be the 11th time the contest has been held in the Miami area, and Super Bowl LV in 2021 will mark the fifth time in Tampa.

For 49ers executives anticipating making travel plans beyond that, the itinerary gets considerably easier in subsequent years. The Super Bowl is slated for Inglewood, California, in 2022 and Glendale, Arizona, in 2023.

The game heads back to New Orleans for an 11th time in 2024.