Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers suffered another loss this Sunday, falling to the Green Bay Packers 38-10. This loss makes the 49ers 5-6 on the season, and with injuries spanning up and down the roster, a playoff run to avenge their Super Bowl loss is looking more and more unlikely. Because of this, some have been questioning the 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and whether he should be on the hot seat for the team’s underperformance. This suggestion on social media was met with a wave of backlash, stating how poor a decision firing Shanahan would be.
The San Francisco 49ers Injury Luck
The San Francisco 49ers have been dealing with injuries all season. This week against the Packers, the 49ers’ starting quarterback, Brock Purdy was out with an injury. Brandon Allen started in his place and did not play well. Allen completed 17-of-29 of his passes for 199 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. The 49ers offense struggled to move the ball all game. Over the years, it has been a common belief that under Kyle Shanahan’s system, any quarterback can be successful. This is because Shanahan uses motion and yards after the catch, with an emphasis on running the ball, so less is asked of the quarterback than a team with a star at the position.
But quarterback is not the only position the 49ers are missing. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL in week seven and is out for the remainder of the season. Star running back Christian McCaffrey missed multiple games early in the season with an injury. Also, edge rusher Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle have been dealing with lingering injuries all season. These injuries are one of the main factors for the 49ers underwhelming season and that is largely out of the hands of Kyle Shanahan.
Kyle Shanahan on the Hot Seat
The mere thought of Kyle Shanahan being on the hot seat had 49ers fans and other fanbases reacting. If Shanahan was ever fired by the 49ers, another team would hire him in an instant. This was the main sentiment from other fanbases reacting to the Kyle Shanahan speculation on social media. Teams would gladly take a top coach in the NFL to help build their teams into contenders. Shanahan is one of the most influential coaches in the NFL, inspiring many of the inventive and effective schemes around the league. Sean McVay, head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, worked under Kyle Shanahan. Mike Mcdaniel, head coach of the Miami Dolphins, worked under Shanahan.
There are many teams whose coaches are actually on the hot seat, like the Chicago Bears or the Jacksonville Jaguars, who would likely leap at the opportunity to bring in Kyle Shanahan to help their offenses and quarterbacks. Shanahan has led the 49ers to two Super Bowls with Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy at quarterback and the only seasons where the 49ers have not made deep playoff runs have been when they are ravaged with injuries throughout the roster. One of the only comparable situations in the NFL would be when the Philadelphia Eagles fired Andy Reid, and he went to Kansas City and built a dynasty.
So, this speculation on social media should be nothing more than speculation. Kyle Shanahan is one of the best coaches in the NFL and the biggest factor in the 49ers underperforming is the injuries, which he cannot control. The 49ers would not find any replacement currently on the coaching market that would be better than Shanahan. His success with the team and overall influence in the NFL should be evidence enough that this season is simply a mix of bad injury luck and Super Bowl hangover.
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