Kyle Shanahan Sounds Off on the Matchup with the Arizona Cardinals

Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers aren't overlooking the Cardinals by any means.

Sep 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

It’s never wise for a team to overlook an opponent, no matter how lowly they may be performing. That’s especially the case when it’s a divisional matchup

The San Francisco 49ers have to be locked in for their Week 11 NFC West matchup with the 3-6 Arizona Cardinals. It doesn't matter if the Cardinals are coming off a blowout loss.

Sure, the 49ers defeated them in the first game at home when the Cardinals were arguably stronger. But that wasn’t an easy win for the 49ers. They still had Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Mykel Williams.

Now, they will face the Cardinals on their turf without them and many more players. On Wednesday, Kyle Shanahan previewed the 49ers' rematch with the Cardinals.

Kyle Shanahan previews the matchup with the Cardinals

Nov 9, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) hands the ball off to Arizona Cardinals running back Bam Knight (20) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

“I think they’ve got a really good defense. I think they’ve got a really good team,” said Shanahan. “I've been in their situation before. I remember, I think they tied a record or one that we had or my first year here as head coach when we lost five games by field goal or less in a row. I saw that same thing happen to them. I think they're a team that could be sitting here very easily with the exact same record as us, if not better.”

The Cardinals have indeed been so close in the majority of their games. Perhaps if they had sealed the deal in a couple of them, they would be playing more inspired football. 

Now, they are becoming a little like the 49ers in terms of depletion. A handful of key players, like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Will Johnson, may be inactive in the rematch. 

Sep 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) makes the touch catch in front of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) during the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Still, the 49ers mustn’t look down on their opponents. Otherwise, they risk playing down to their level and losing. Luckily, Shanahan’s message is that the Cardinals are still a solid team. 

“When you look at the film they look like a team that has a winning record with the way their defense plays. They're very well coached. The guys that they've added this offseason on the D-Line helped them a ton. I think offensively, they know how to move the ball.

“I think [Jacoby] Brissett’s been playing very well this last month. I see a well-coached team who plays really hard and seems to be in almost every game they're in. I know last week got away from them very early, but besides that, seems like they've had a chance to win every game they’ve played in.”

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