Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, has had a busy offseason as he tries to make the NFC team competitive again after finishing last in their division with an awful 6-11 record.
Certainly, a big reason of why the reigning NFC champions fell dramatically had to do with injuries to their top receiver, running back and offensive lineman.
But the future looks bright. San Francisco will have just four matchups against playoff teams from 2024 – the team will face the Los Angeles Rams twice in addition to games against the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to CBS Sports’ Robert Breech, the 49ers have the easiest strength of schedule of all 32 clubs in 2025.
Shanahan pulls off ridiculous pizza oven trick shot
Forget game day strategy, head coach Kyle Shanahan went full trick shot artist in a resurfaced clip that went viral. The San Francisco 49ers leader launched a football straight into a backyard pizza oven during a rooftop Fourth of July bash.
Shanahan stood beside longtime 49ers lineman Joe Staley, casually dropping jaws with a perfect throw that looked more scripted than spontaneous. No warm-up, no second attempt, just one clean spiral into the oven that took a lot of fans by surprise.
Originally filmed in 2021, the video made a viral comeback this week. And fans can’t get enough. Whether calling it “quarterback-level precision” or “coach of the year, trick shot edition,” one thing’s clear-Shanahan doesn’t miss, even off the field. Kyle played wide receiver at Duke University before transferring to the University of Texas in 2000, where he spent two seasons.
The 49ers are in good spirit
Overall energy and competitiveness in the San Francisco 49ers is up. There are likely several reasons for this, and the extended offseason is one important factor to consider. San Francisco wrapped up the season on January 5th, which is the earliest finish for this team since the 2020 season.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan, iconic tight end George Kittle, and linebacker Fred Warner – one of the team’s captains – spoke to the benefits, both physically and mentally, that provided this team that has enjoyed extended playoff runs in three of the last four seasons.
“There has been more turnover this year than probably the last six or seven years,” Shanahan said. “This is the first time (in a long time) we’ve had a long break too. The year before last year, coming off the 2023 season, was one of the shorter breaks that we’ve had, having that tough loss in the Super Bowl and coming back six weeks later.”
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