Kyle Shanahan is a Favorite to win 2021 Coach of the Year Award

The 49ers are looking for a dramatic bounce back in 2021.

2020 was the most unfortunate season a team has ever seen injury-wise. It was like the 49ers ran under ladders the length of a football field.

That is how absurd the bad luck with injuries got. 2021 can and should be a stellar season for the 49ers if injuries do not remotely hit them like they did last season. And if they do become an elite force again, a ton of credit will be pointed at head coach Kyle Shanahan.

That is why Shanahan is a favorite to win the 2021 Coach of the Year award.

As it stands, Shanahan is tied with Brandon Staley of the Chargers and Kevin Stefanski of the Browns to win the award at +1300 odds, per DraftKings Sportsbook. Those odds and being tied with other coaches shows just how high the expectations are for the 49ers in 2021.

Remember, the expectations for the 49ers were already sky-high going into 2020. It is not like people have forgotten how high-level this team is. So long as they can recover half of their players, the 49ers are a force to be reckoned with. Shanahan winning the award will only take a sweet record like 12-5, which the 49ers are capable of attaining.

But I think what will really win it for him is if Trey Lance starts early on and becomes an adequate player. He will certainly be raved about Lance's development along with maintaining a successful football team.

It won't be easy, but Shanahan certainly has it in him to win it.