Is Kyle Shanahan Too Comfortable?
Kyle Shanahan has more power and job security than just about any other head coach in the NFL.
The 49ers extend his contract every few years even though he hasn't won a Super Bowl. He got to hire the general manager, John Lynch, and he has input on personnel decisions. And he seems to be absolutely adored by the owner, Jed York, who's just grateful not to be a laughingstock after hiring Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly in back-to-back years before landing Shanahan.
There seems to be nothing Shanahan can do to lose his job. Before he lost the Super Bowl this year, York said he would have kept Shanahan even if the 49ers had lost to the Lions in the NFC Championship Game, which they almost did. Then in the Super Bowl, Shanahan's offense was horrible and unprepared, and he didn't know the playoff rules for overtime. And yet, the organization fired the defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, and not Shanahan.
Whenever Shanahan comes close to winning a Championship, critics call him an elite head coach. And whenever Shanahan has a down season, critics make excuses for him.
What other coach has it so good? Even Andy Reid has to win every season, because he has Patrick Mahomes. If the Chiefs were to miss the playoffs one year, people would look at him differently.
And that's part of the reason Reid has won three Championships. He has pressure to win them, unlike Shanahan, who gets praised for coming close.
Maybe Shanahan needs to go to another organization to win a Super Bowl, an organization that doesn't coddle him like the 49ers do. He's entirely too comfortable.
