The 2024 campaign has not gone the San Francisco 49ers way, and after their ugly 12-6 defeat on Thursday Night Football at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams, their playoff hopes are all but gone. As a result, some folks have begun to look at head coach Kyle Shanahan as a potential hot seat candidate.
After nearly winning Super Bowl LVIII last year, the Niners were widely expected to be one of the top teams in the league again this season. Instead, they have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league, as their 6-8 record has them sitting in last place in the NFC West.
Anytime a team doesn't meet expectations, it's easy to pin the blame on the head coach. That isn't going to happen to Shanahan, though, as San Francisco reportedly has no plans to move on from him, despite the team's horrific showing in the 2024 campaign.
"Despite this being the Niners’ worst season since 2020, Shanahan, in his eighth season with San Francisco, isn’t going anywhere. The mutual commitment between coach and franchise remains. Ignore all the rumors. The organization fully believes in his ability to lead the team forward, even after a rough year," Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported.
Shanahan obviously has to assume some of the blame for the 49ers poor season, but he can only do so much. This team has been destroyed by injuries since before the campaign even began, and several of their key guys who have managed to stay healthy have not been having their best seasons.
So many of the things that aren't in Shanahan's control have gone wrong this season that firing him would feel premature. Considering how he's led the team to the Super Bowl twice since taking over as their head coach back in 2017, he's going to have a little bit of leeway with the team.
San Fran could technically find their way into the playoffs, but their odds are not exactly favorable. That won't result in Shanahan getting fired, though, and chances are he's already beginning to work on finding ways to get his team back on track for the 2025 campaign.
