- Is Kyle Shanahan’s Time Running Out? The 49ers Coach Faces Make-or-Break Season in Quest for…
The San Francisco 49ers are back in the NFC championship game for the fourth time in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s seven-year tenure. That’s quite a feat, but eventually, you’ve got to win the big one. Shanahan is quickly approaching the point where people are going to begin questioning aloud if he can win the Super Bowl. This is why the run these Niners are on currently is so important.
That isn’t an exaggeration either. Noonly is Shanahan impatient;
he can’t afford to be too patient at the quarterback position, heading toward season No. 8 as Niners coach in the fall. Sunday’s NFC title game may not solely fall on Brock Purdy’s shoulders, but there will be times when he’s called on to make a play. If he folds under the pressure and SF loses their third consecutive title game, then he’ll likely be out like Stillman states above.
But this is a huge game for Shanahan because there’s growing pressure on him to get over the hump. The 49ers are one of only four franchises with five Super Bowls. It’s been almost 30 years since San Francisco last won it, although they’ve appeared in two since. However, the goal isn’t to get there, it’s to win it. A couple more second-place (or worse) finishes and it could be time for coach and management to sit down and have a tough conversation. We’re not there just yet but Shanahan and the Niners need to break through.