Kyle Shanahan may not be anywhere near the NFL’s hot seat, but that doesn’t mean questions aren’t swirling around his legacy. The San Francisco 49ers head coach, still just 45 years old, has taken his team to the doorstep of greatness multiple times, only to fall short-twice on the league’s biggest stage, both times against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Shanahan, the son of two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan, has carved out his own identity as one of football’s most respected offensive minds. But for all his creativity and leadership, he’s still missing the one achievement that defines coaching greatness: a Lombardi Trophy.
The comparisons between father and son are inevitable. Mike Shanahan won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos during the late 1990s, riding the combination of veteran quarterback John Elway and MVP running back Terrell Davis.
That run lifted Elway‘s long-suffering reputation and etched Mike’s name in coaching history. Kyle, on the other hand, has had the 49ers in Super Bowl contention four times in the last five seasons but hasn’t yet delivered a championship. And it’s beginning to show-not just in public perception, but on his face.
A coach under pressure
A viral side-by-side comparison of Shanahan from when he first took over the 49ers in 2017 to now paints a telling picture. The youthful, fresh-faced play-caller who inherited a rebuilding franchise now looks weathered, aged beyond his years.
The job, and its constant demands for perfection, have clearly taken a toll. And in the NFL, where every decision is scrutinized and every loss magnified, it’s no surprise.
It doesn’t help that one of those painful losses came at the hands of his close friend and former protégé Sean McVay, whose Los Angeles Rams edged the 49ers in the 2021 NFC Championship Game.
McVay went on to win the Super Bowl that year, silencing critics who once questioned his ability to win the big one. Shanahan, meanwhile, was left to reassemble his team once again for another push.
Despite his track record of postseason appearances and his well-earned reputation for offensive brilliance, Shanahan‘s inability to secure a championship has opened him up to criticism-especially when it comes to his quarterback situation.
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