Kyle Shanahan Had Saddest Quotes Ahead of Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl

As the city of San Francisco proudly played host of the Super Bowl—showcasing the city’s many wonders from the Golden Gate Bridge, to Alcatraz and the food ahead of the nation’s biggest annual sporting event—the 49ers had to smile through the pain.

Just weeks after the 49ers were blown out by the Seahawks in the playoffs, they will watch their divisional foe face the Patriots for a chance at a Super Bowl championship. On their home turf, while using the 49ers’ locker room as their own for the big game.

As 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made his broadcasting debut on NBC ahead of the game, he was asked what makes the Seahawks defense so difficult to face. He responded, “I know you guys want my expert opinion, but I haven't scored a touchdown on these guys the last two times we've played them, so I don't know how good that is."

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan: "I know you guys want my expert opinion, but I haven't scored a touchdown on [the Seahawks] the last two times we've played them, so I don't know how good that is." 🏈🎙️ #NFL #SuperBowlLX https://t.co/BF7cSiomqP pic.twitter.com/qGulIVVY0V
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 8, 2026

The pain is especially palpable for Shanahan, who will watch a division rival face the team that beat him in his first Super Bowl appearance as an offensive coordinator with the Falcons. Not only this, but Shanahan had to relive his own heartbreaking Super Bowl defeats while making his pregame appearance.

Despite being one of the best coaches of his generation, Shanahan has suffered losses in all three of his Super Bowl appearances—one as an offensive coordinator and two as head coach of the 49ers. From blowing multiple fourth quarter leads to losing the only overtime games in Super Bowl history, Shanahan has endured uniquely crushing losses on the biggest stage.

“This is what we all dream about growing up,” Shanahan said on NBC. “This is what we all worked for. It starts way early in the offseason, you go through this whole grind to get here. It’s a little hard for me, you guys making me bring up some dark Super Bowl memories.”

“I put it away completely cause it didn’t go well and it is so personal,” Shanahan said to linebacker Fred Warner of rewatching the Super Bowl losses. “But I always watch it the day before [the players] get back. I put it off as long as I can, but the day before you guys enter the building, I gotta be on top of it. I gotta know what happened. I gotta know how to address you guys and I gotta know how to prepare going forward.”

On the more optimistic front, Shanahan looks to follow in the footsteps of his father Mike Shanahan, who lost his first three Super Bowls as an assistant coach before winning three—one as an offensive coordinator and two as a head coach.

“I’ve been able to go to nine of these. I went to six of them with my dad, I went to three on my own. I just look at it as he got blown out in his first three and then he won his next three,” Shanahan said. “I’ve got my three losses out of the way ... now we got three wins in front of us.”

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