When it comes to playoff football, motivation usually isn’t in short supply - especially when it's a divisional showdown. But for the San Francisco 49ers, a little extra fuel came courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks’ postgame celebration after their Week 18 win at Levi’s Stadium. And head coach Kyle Shanahan made sure his team saw every second of it.
As the 49ers prepare to face the Seahawks once again - this time with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line - Shanahan leaned into a familiar tactic: turning disrespect into drive. According to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, Shanahan compiled a highlight reel of Seahawks players dancing with cigars in hand, celebrating like they’d just punched their ticket to the Super Bowl, not just clinched the No. 1 seed.
In a team meeting ahead of Saturday’s divisional-round clash at Lumen Field, Shanahan rolled the footage - a social media supercut of Seattle’s locker room celebration following their 13-3 win in Week 18. The message was clear: remember this.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk didn’t mince words when reflecting on the moment. “He showed us their Instagram posts crapping on us, really,” Juszczyk said.
“Like they had just won the Super Bowl.” He added that Shanahan has used this kind of motivational tactic before - and it works.
“That hit home. That is extra motivation, as if the Niners needed any.”
It’s a classic playoff subplot: one team celebrates, the other takes note. And while tight end George Kittle didn’t express any bitterness after the initial loss, his comments still acknowledged the weight of the moment.
“I would do the same s--t,” Kittle said after the game. “They won the division.
They got the [No. 1] seed. They won in a rival stadium.
Good for them.”
But in the NFL, memories are long - and receipts are digital.
Beyond the locker room celebrations, the rivalry has spilled over into the social media sphere. Players like 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu have taken to online platforms to keep the banter alive, exchanging jabs that only add more edge to an already heated matchup.
Whether it’s dancing with cigars or chirping on Instagram, both teams have brought plenty of emotion to the table. And while Shanahan’s montage might not show up in the box score, don’t be surprised if it shows up in the way the 49ers take the field on Saturday.
This isn’t just another playoff game. This is personal.