The San Francisco 49ers didn't face Charles Omenihu in their Super Bowl 58 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, much to the defensive end's regret.
Omenihu missed the Chiefs' overtime win over the 49ers in Las Vegas having suffered a torn ACL in Kansas City's AFC Championship Game win over the Baltimore Ravens.
It meant he had to watch from the sidelines as the Chiefs knocked off his former team, Omenihu having signed with Kansas City after being allowed to walk by the 49ers after the 2022 season.
Despite the outcome of the game, that did not sit well with Omenihu.
"I think pregame was the worst — pregame and kickoff," Omenihu said on 'Up and Adams'.
"Just seeing everybody warming up. I could feel the atmosphere of being at the Super Bowl. But then you’re on the sideline with nothing around. That was the worst of it all. I was just telling myself ‘hopefully you will be back here and playing.’
"It wasn’t good. It wasn’t a good feeling at all. I wanted to play so bad. Especially being my former team last year. I felt like this was my opportunity to show y’all like ‘you didn’t want to pay me.’ Y’all let me go. This is kinda like my opportunity to show y’all that was a horrible decision. And the fact that I wasn’t able to do that against them. I have got over it now, but at that time it very much ate at me."
But Omenihu, if he is back healthy, will have a chance to show the 49ers what they're missing, provided he is healthy for the Chiefs' scheduled rematch with San Francisco during the 2024 regular season at Levi's Stadium.
"I saw our schedule came out though and we do have them on the schedule next year," he added. "I’m hoping it’s around the time I will be back. I really really want to be available for that game."
The 49ers, though, already have a good idea of what they're missing, openly admitting they are still trying to replace Omenihu. This offseason, the 49ers signed Yetur Gross-Matos to a two-year deal, with general manager John Lynch stating their desire to harness his inside-out versatility in the same way they did with Omenihu in 2021 and 2022.
"I think Yetur, the interesting thing is he's just a long, skilled athlete," Lynch said at the NFL's annual meetings. "I think we've been at our best when we've had one of those guys, Arden Key, Charles Omenihu, that can play outside and then slide down and go to the inside. It just gives you another layer of versatility to your D-line. And so Yetur, we're really excited about that."
The 49ers have also scheduled a top-30 visit with Oregon's Brandon Dorlus ahead of the draft. Dorlus is a prospect who has played significant snaps at both defensive end and defensive tackle during his collegiate career, excelling at both spots as a pass rusher.
San Francisco will hope to finally have a player to fill the Omenihu void by the time the 49ers face the Chiefs. If not, he could make a rematch that will bring back painful memories even more difficult for the Niners to swallow with a strong reminder of his talents.
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