How Kyle Shanahan Might Spice Up the 49ers Offense this Year

The 49ers offense seemed stale last season.

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan stands on the sideline during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The 49ers offense seemed stale last season.

It struggled in the red zone, it struggled in short-yardage situations and Kyle Shanahan seemed out of fresh ideas. The core of his offensive system still was effective, but he wasn't surprising defenses much anymore.

As a result, Brock Purdy had to hold the ball longer and scramble more than he did in his first two seasons. For the first time, it seemed like Purdy was helping Shanahan more than Shanahan was helping Purdy.

This year, Shanahan needs to make Purdy's job much easier than it was last season. Which means he needs to add some wrinkles to the offense to make it more quarterback-friendly.

For starters, Shanahan can call more screen passes. Those are quick, easy completions. Last season, Purdy threw merely 41 screens. As opposed to Baker Mayfield, who threw 94. Or Bo Nix, who threw 93.

When Jimmy Garoppolo was the 49ers' quarterback and Mike McDaniel was the 49ers' offensive coordinator, they called lots of screens and they were effective. But now, McDaniel is the head coach of Miami, where he calls tons of screens for Tua Tagovailoa.

Shanahan needs to channel his inner McDaniel can start calling those "Jimmy gimmes" he used to call for Garoppolo. Those were layups and they boosted Garoppolo's confidence. Last season, Purdy seemed to lose confidence as he continuously forced passes into tight coverage downfield. What other choice did he have?

Now, the 49ers have two running backs who are excellent receivers -- Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo.

Throw them the freaking ball.