Kyle Shanahan has come a long way since assuming the role of head coach in 2017. Although his first two years at the helm ended in turmoil, he significantly turned things around for the 49ers and reached the Super Bowl not once, but twice. But he came up empty-handed both times. Aiming to fill those glaring holes, Shanahan has now turned to Bill Belichick; however, things didn’t quite turn out how he had hoped.
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Despite being offered absolute authority over the team, Belichick turned down the open-ended role, which could have potentially formed one of the greatest coach duos in league history. While Shanahan didn’t seem to mind having a more successful and experienced coach by his side, Belichick is clearly not interested in anything less than a head coaching gig.
As soon as this report surfaced online, speculation about Belichick’s refusal began to swirl, with many assuming that the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach simply didn’t want to work alongside someone like Shanahan.
Certainly an unfortunate perspective; however, there were also those who promptly came to Shanahan’s defense. Ringer’s Warren Sharp is one of those people who took to X (formerly Twitter) to present a strong counterargument:
“People love to hate Kyle. In reality, almost all fan bases would trade their HC in a heartbeat for Kyle”
Sharp also noted that Shanahan currently boasts a 54-29 record (.651) since 2019, which is the fifth-best in the NFL. He has reached the Conference Championship game four times during this period, winning twice and ultimately losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game (both times).
However, let’s not forget that Shanahan achieved this level of success with QBs like Jimmy Garoppolo, who now struggles to land a starting job. QB Brock Purdy had a similar journey, going from being drafted last (Mr. Irrelevant) to leading the Niners to the Super Bowl in his second year as a starter.
Sharp even drew a parallel to head coach Andy Reid’s success, noting that Reid didn’t win his first ring until after two decades of head coaching. He finally got his break after drafting Mahomes, which the analyst hopes will happen for Shanahan in the near future.
Can Kyle Shanahan and His 49ers ‘Win It All’ This Season?
Following their heartbreak in Super Bowl LVIII, the Bay Area team is entering the 2024 season with one clear goal: winning it all. Several sources are already predicting that the team will end with the same 12-5 record as last year, given their favorable schedule. But, did the club address any major issues they faced last season?
One of the most noticeable issues the team faced last season was their offensive line. The star quarterback was sacked a total of 28 times, which is quite concerning. Yet, the Niners chose to select wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
It stirred up a lot of reactions back then; however, Coach Shanahan has an explanation for why the team opted to go this way. During his appearance on the ‘TK Show,’ he said:
“I’ve heard the narrative that we’re ignoring the O-line and stuff. If we felt the O-line was the best pick there (1st round) there’s no doubt that’s who we’d take, but there were some O-lineman there at the end of the first round that we feel has just as good of a chance as a guy at the end of the second round.”
That said, the 49ers did select two offensive linemen this draft. Dominick Puni from Kansas was selected in the third round (86th overall), while Jarrett Kingston from USC was picked in the sixth round (215th overall).
Moreover, veteran OT Trent Williams, with 11 Pro Bowl nods and three First-Team All-Pros, will strengthen the O-line. If everything falls into place, Purdy will have ample protection this season, perhaps helping the team go all the way.
