Why Extending Kyle Shanahan Now Was Necessary

Kyle Shanahan's new deal with the San Francisco 49ers emerged out of the blue.

It caught most people by surprise considering the timing. Shanahan had three-years remaining on his original contract that he signed in 2017. It's not like the 49ers were at risk of losing Shanahan soon. There was still ample time for them to squeeze whatever they could from his previous deal.

So what was the point of essentially extending him for another three years?

The point is that when you have such an elite, high-level coach like Shanahan, you do not mess around. It doesn't matter if he was only halfway through with his original contract. If you're the 49ers, extending him now for another three-years is smart business.

Not to mention the fact that the 49ers haven't been good at finding head coaches. That is why Shanahan's extension is a historic moment for the franchise. The last time the 49ers kept a coach past their first contract was when Steve Mariucci was around. They have had terrible luck with their head coaches and have no one to blame but themselves.

That is why they needed to lock in Shanahan now. They finally have their guy who can lead the franchise to the promised land.

Another reason why it was necessary for the Niners to extend him now is because Shanahan's number for a new deal only would go up. That is how the league works. The more proven you are, the more you are going to be able to jack up the price of a new contract for yourself.

Contracts for coaches do not impact the salary cap, so the money going towards a coach isn't that big of a deal. You really can't put a concrete price on stellar coaching. This is a coach's league after all.

However, due to the current pandemic, the cash flow is going to be cut to a certain degree. That is why the projection for the salary-cap next year is not expect to rise, rather it is expected to take a serious hit.

This is also why the 49ers are struggling to find a way to strike a deal with George Kittle. They have to consider the cap and cash flow with him as opposed to a coach.

Still, the overall point of why it was necessary to extend Shanahan now is because of how superb he is. The current issue with cash flow is a contributing factor, but at the end of the day the 49ers needed to lock him in. Any team would throw themselves at Shanahan should he ever hit the market.

Luckily for the 49ers, they know all they needed to with Shanahan after he took the team to the Super Bowl. San Francisco should be in contention for the Lombardi Trophy every year now that they have a stellar coach leading the way for them.

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