Deebo Samuel and the 49ers have been within striking distance of winning the Lombardi Trophy three out of the last four seasons, only to come up short of their ultimate goal.
With the memory of the 49ers' NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles still fresh in their minds, Samuel and plenty of his teammates made the trip to Phoenix, Ariz., to take part in Super Bowl LVII festivities, including Radio Row.
That backdrop created an incredibly awkward interview setting when Samuel joined the "Rich Eisen Show" on Thursday.
Sitting on a table between Samuel and Eisen was the Lombardi Trophy, the very item the 49ers' All-Pro wide receiver desperately wants to win.
As Eisen began the interview with Samuel, he immediately realized how uncomfortable it was for his guest and relayed a conversation they had before the segment started about the weird setup.
"Hey man, I'm going to do it for you," Samuel told Eisen.
Samuel then explained why he didn't want to sit next to the Lombardi Trophy.
"Been close three years out of the four," Samuel told Eisen. "Kind of feel like this year was our time to do it. And what a coincidence of what happened to Brock [Purdy] and Josh [Johnson], and not be able to finish the game with a quarterback."
Samuel and the 49ers will have to watch as the Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale for the right to lift the Lombardi Trophy.
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But if things go the 49ers' way during the 2023 NFL season, they will be holding the trophy at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev.