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Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers.
The whispers Kyle Shanahan could leave the San Francisco 49ers is beginning to turn into rumblings.
After a great deal of success in San Francisco, Shanahan is drawing a bit of heat for the team’s rough 2024 campaign. Currently sitting at the bottom of the NFC West with a 5-7 mark, the Niners have lost three in a row and they have just an 8% chance to make the playoffs heading into Week 14.
To be fair, the 49ers have dealt with injuries to several key players this year, and that hasn’t helped matters. Superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, quarterback Brock Purdy, defensive end Nick Bosa and All-Pro tackle Trent Williams have all missed games due to injury. The Niners have also struggled in all three phases at times, which is why the spotlight has been on Shanahan.
In a December 3 appearance on 670 The Score’s “Mully & Haugh Show,” NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says he believes the Chicago Bears, who just fired head coach Matt Eberflus, have to give 49ers CEO Jed York and/or general manager John Lynch a call about a possible trade for Shanny.
“I feel like [Shanahan] is on the Andy Reid path where he is never going to reach his full potential unless he goes to a new team,” Florio said, via Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. “And his dad’s from Illinois. There’s kind of an appeal to that.”
What Would Chicago Bears Have to Give Up in a Trade for 49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan?
Shanahan’s father, two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and Oak Park, Illinois native Mike Shanahan, likely won’t be a factor in his son’s decision.
“What would you give up to get Kyle Shanahan? You should at least have that conversation, because the 49ers almost traded Jim Harbaugh to the Browns 10 years ago,” Florio added. “Harbaugh said no or else they would have done it. Who knows? If Jed York is thinking about making a change, this might be a great opportunity.”
As Lieser also notes, the Denver Broncos sent first- and third-round picks to the New Orleans Saints for Super Bowl-winning coach Sean Payton, so it would likely take multiple first-rounders to pry Shanny away from San Fran.
“I feel like Shanahan and the 49ers are getting close to the point where they would benefit mutually from a fresh start,” Florio said in a December 3 appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show.” “If you can get Shanahan and join him at the hip with Caleb Williams — are you kidding me?
Bears Insider Says Shanahan Trade Is ‘Fantasyland’
Shanahan led the Niners to Super Bowl 54, but they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. He took them to another Super Bowl after the 2023 season, but the team again fell to the Chiefs in overtime.
As of December 3, 2024, Shanny’s regular-season coaching record stands at 69-58, with an overall postseason record of 8-4. His tenure in San Francisco has been an unquestioned success, which is why he’s likely not going anywhere barring a miracle.
Bears insider Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was asked specifically about a possible Shanahan trade in his December 4 Q&A column, and his response was bleak for Bears fans.
“I don’t see any chance on this earth the 49ers would consider trading Shanahan — and IF they did, what’s the asking price? Two first-round draft picks plus what else? Why would Shanahan want to go to a team that all of a sudden would be handicapped with a lack of draft capital when he’s already with a team that should be a contender again when it’s healthy in 2025?” Biggs wrote, adding: “I think it’s fantasyland to wonder about the Bears trading for their next head coach. But, hey, dare to dream.”
For many Bears fans, dreams are all they have right now, so expect the talk to continue, at least for a while.
Beth Mishler-Elmore Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the NFL, NBA and WNBA. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore
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