“I know I don’t want to be any place in the world more than here,” Kyle Shanahan told the media in Sunday’s postgame, following a dominant 38–13 win over the Bears. The statement was firm. His commitment to San Francisco is clear. But the moment rang hollow for some, coming at the tail end of a 2024 campaign that was anything but convincing. Injuries and bad luck haven’t been the 49ers’ only problems. Unfinished business continues to weigh on them—especially the sting of last season’s 25-22 Super Bowl collapse. That failure still echoes through the locker room.Add to this, the five consecutive postseasons that ended without a title are no longer just part of the journey. They’re the story. And while many still credit Shanahan and GM John Lynch for resurrecting a broken franchise in 2017, patience inside the building is wearing thin. As one insider put it, Shanahan can’t lean on the Super Bowl loss as an excuse anymore. And with Robert Saleh returning to lead the defense in 2025, it’s a warning shot.
Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated, in a video on his YouTube channel featuring analyst Alex Frankel, highlighted the growing unease around Shanahan’s leadership. Frankel didn’t mince words: “I still think that the secret plan behind closed doors with the Yorks is that Salah is going to take over the team.” He followed with a pointed observation: “Especially with all those rookies on that defense. If Salah can turn them into a productive defense…” That scenario looks increasingly plausible. Through the first stretch of the 2025 season, the 49ers’ defense has allowed 25.3 points per game. Ranking 25th in the NFL, and sitting near the bottom in takeaways (5, tied-30th) and sacks (18, tied-18th).
This underperformance comes despite a 2024 draft class loaded with defensive talent. This included top picks like Kamari Lassiter and Brennan Jackson. If Saleh steps in and gets that same group clicking, it won’t just reflect well on him. It will raise serious questions about how Shanahan has handled the young core up to now. Cohn doubled down on that concern: “That’s another thing. If the offense is worse than the defense, that makes Kyle look bad this year.” And make no mistake! The 49ers’ offense already slipped in 2024, falling from top-5 in scoring just two seasons prior to 13th, averaging only 22.9 points per game. Meanwhile, the defense completely cratered, allowing 25.6 points per game and ranking 29th in the league. For a head coach known for precision and balance, that kind of drop-off on both sides of the ball is impossible to ignore.
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Frankel dialed in on the stakes: “If Salah can turn them into a productive defense, and Kyle Shanahan still seems burnt out and out of ideas despite having an extra month of an offseason… And you can’t blame it on like the depression of losing a Super Bowl. It’s just—no. Maybe you’re burnt out from nine years of being a coach.” That skepticism hits right at the heart of Shanahan’s position. He’s earned $12 million a year. The message is clear. If the team rebounds under Saleh’s defensive eye but Shanahan’s offense doesn’t find its spark, this could be the season that prompts drastic change.
49ers’ soft schedule leaves Kyle Shanahan out of alibis
The 2025 season isn’t just another “bounce-back” campaign for the 49ers. It’s the last mulligan for a team that stumbled badly and still somehow landed in the driver’s seat. After going 6–11 in 2024, San Francisco didn’t earn a clean slate. They received it as a gift. Thanks to the NFL’s scheduling model, which gives last-place finishers a “consolation” slate, the 49ers now face a trio of favorable matchups: the Browns, Giants, and Bears. Meanwhile, division rival Los Angeles, who actually won the NFC West, is with the Ravens, Lions, and Eagles. That scheduling swing is why Vegas oddsmakers give the 49ers a slight edge to win the division: +165 for San Francisco, +175 for the Rams. But let’s be honest—this isn’t about momentum. It’s math. The Niners backed into a calendar advantage they didn’t earn.
What adds pressure is that this isn’t just a scheduled gift. They have reset the roster now. Christian McCaffrey is healthy again. George Kittle is still anchoring the offense and mentoring tight ends across the league. Jauan Jennings has made strides. Brandon Aiyuk is on track after injury, and Ricky Pearsall is expected to make a full offseason return. On defense, Robert Saleh is back in the building, this time to repair the damage left behind by a unit that collapsed down the stretch in 2024. Add in a more seasoned Brock Purdy, who now has a full year of turbulence and expectation behind him and this group isn’t just talented. It’s tested. Everything is lined up. Which makes what happens next impossible to hide from.
And that’s where Kyle Shanahan’s seat heats up. He’s been handed one of the lightest strength-of-schedule slates in the NFC. A fully stocked depth chart, and now a returning defensive coordinator who helped build the team’s original identity. He’s also the one calling the final shots in the organization. The excuses that once shielded him—injuries, youth, unlucky matchups—are drying up fast. Because if Shanahan, a coach with arguably more influence than any ringless leader in the NFL, can’t capitalize now… When will he?
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