Kyle Shanahan is one of the best head coaches in the NFL but is having a rough year. The San Francisco 49ers are 5-7 on the season and will likely miss the playoffs, but even after that, they will not even think about replacing Shanahan.
Apart from the Kansas City Chiefs, the 49ers under Shanahan have been the most consistent team in the NFL over the last few years. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been enough for them to win the Super Bowl.
With the team heading toward a crucial offseason, Colin Cowherd believes the 49ers must make one major change related to Shanahan if they want to contend again.
Colin Cowherd Offers Advice to Kyle Shanahan and 49ers
In a recent segment on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the Fox Sports analyst urged the NFC West franchise not to let its head coach play a big role in decisions related to the personnel on the team.
Cowherd believes it will be better for the team if General Manager John Lynch takes less input from Shanahan on the drafts.
“You’re not going to fire Kyle Shanahan,” Cowherd said. “He’s very good, but I do think you have to get him away from personnel. And here’s what happens: it hurt Bill O’Brien, it hurt [Jon] Gruden, it hurt [Bill] Belichick, and I think it hurt Pete Carroll.”
.@ColinCowherd on 49ers dropping to 5-7:
"They're spiraling out of control. There's no easy fix and they're not one swing away. pic.twitter.com/B5mwGQhsnq
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 2, 2024
Cowherd mentioned that, since the head coach usually makes a lot more money than the general manager, the former tends to start having a lot of say on personnel decisions. He wants the 49ers to avoid that scenario and gave the example of how things have improved in Seattle since they changed their strategy, which included a decreased role for head coach Mike Macdonald.
Cowherd added, “So, when these coaches get into these power situations, they get a lot of personnel, say, and I think Kyle is drafting players for the moment. Their O-line and their D-line, they’ve neglected it, and I think he has to step back.”
Shanahan is 69-58 as the 49ers’ head coach in the regular season and 8-4 in the playoffs. Under him, the team has been to two Super Bowls and four NFC Championship Games. But as Cowherd said, it might be time for him to take a step back and focus only on coaching the players given to him by the team’s front office.
The 49ers Have Had Multiple Bad Drafts
Here is a list of players that the 49ers have drafted in the last three drafts:
2024:
- Ricky Pearsall | Round 1, Pick 31
- Renardo Green | Round 2, Pick 64
- Dominick Puni | Round 3, Pick 86
- Malik Mustapha | Round 4, Pick 124
- Isaac Guerendo | Round 4, Pick 129
- Jacob Cowing | Round 4, Pick 135
- Jarrett Kingston | Round 6, Pick 215
- Tatum Bethune | Round 7, Pick 251
2023:
- Ji’Ayir Brown | Round 3, Pick 87
- Jake Moody | Round 3, Pick 99
- Cameron Latu | Round 3, Pick 101
- Darrell Luter Jr. | Round 5, Pick 155
- Robert Beal | Round 5, Pick 173
- Dee Winters | Round 6, Pick 216
- Brayden Willis | Round 7, Pick 247
- Ronnie Bell | Round 7, Pick 253
- Jalen Graham | Round 7, Pick 255
2022:
- Drake Jackson | Round 2, Pick 61
- Tyrion Davis-Price | Round 3, Pick 93
- Danny Gray | Round 3, Pick 105
- Spencer Burford | Round 4, Pick 134
- Samuel Womack | Round 5, Pick 172
- Nick Zakelj | Round 6, Pick 187
- Kalia Davis | Round 6, Pick 220
- Tariq Castro-Fields | Round 6, Pick 221
- Brock Purdy | Round 7, Pick 262
Out of the 26 players that they have drafted in the last three years, only Purdy has been a standout player. Moody, Mustapha, Brown, Guerendo, and Pearsall could also have long careers with the 49ers, but none of them can be termed as a franchise-changing player.
San Francisco is lagging behind in the drafts compared to the Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions. The team can’t rely on the backs of players it drafted years ago, and keeping them on the road is costlier.
The 49ers could potentially have a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It will be essential for the franchise to get the right group of players if they want to extend their Super Bowl window.