The 49ers are undergoing massive changes ahead of the 2025 season. Much credit goes to the impressive chemistry between the coaching staff and players. One such is seen between the head coach Kyle Shanahan, and the star QB Brock Purdy. The coach had played a big role in inspiring and encouraging Purdy to rise from his title of Mr. Irrelevant. He has also played a major role in the quarterback securing his $265 million contract. Purdy is now the rock of the franchise, no doubt. Safe to say, the duo can create magic when together. However, that might change soon with the franchise’s latest upgrade by the coach himself.

As the preseason approaches, the 49ers’ head coach, Kyle Shanahan, announced that he will hand over the offensive play-calling reins to offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak. Shanahan confirmed on Wednesday that Kubiak will call the plays during Saturday’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos and hinted that the arrangement could continue throughout the entire preseason.

It’s a big opportunity for Kubiak, who’s in his first year as the 49ers’ OC. While Shanahan has traditionally held onto play-calling responsibilities, the move will allow Kubiak to gain experience. “#49ers OC Klay Kubiak will call plays on Saturday against the Denver Broncos, and possibly throughout the entire preseason, per Kyle Shanahan on @KNBR,” an X post by OurSF49ers just confirmed it.

But for now, Kyle Shanahan’s handing over the headset this weekend. No doubt, the HC trusts Kubiak. They’ve built this thing together, and the rhythm’s already there. But here’s the kicker: Don’t expect the stars to suit up. Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Rickey Pearsall, they’re likely sitting this one out. Shanahan’s not risking it. For him, those intense joint practices? Way more valuable than a preseason game where anything can go sideways. He wants his top guys healthy, not banged up in August. So, while Kubiak takes over the calls, the big names will be on the sideline, staying ready for what actually counts. But Shanahan hasn’t ruled out the scenario completely from the playbooks of Purdy and other stars.

As per the HC, he “would like to get them in the other two, but we’ll see how it goes.” So, it’s quite possible that Purdy and the starters would suit up for other upcoming preseason games. And if that happens, it might become a bit troublesome for the QB, who is much more familiar with Shanahan’s play-calling after all these years. “I’ve got so much confidence in Klay, just how good of a job he’s done for us, how long him and I have been working together here, that it doesn’t bother me in the season. There’s times that Klay will call plays; there’s times that I will, and I do think that it’s a little bit overrated on who’s doing it,” the coach told KNBR, via 49erswebzone.com. Anyway, the upcoming days will reveal the reality.

Until then, speaking of the bond that Purdy and the head coach share, it’s rare. When the 49ers began working toward Purdy’s massive contract extension, Shanahan knew transparency had to come first. With the quarterback still under contract for another year, San Francisco didn’t have to move quickly. But Shanahan, GM John Lynch, and CEO Jed York were aligned on one thing. And that is, they wanted Purdy to be on the team and feel valued. Hence, they locked him through 2030.

Shanahan emphasized that emotion and trust factored into the decision. They weren’t negotiating because they had to. They did it because they saw Purdy as the franchise quarterback for the long haul. Speaking on ‘The TK Show,’ Shanahan shared, “I also knew were in a tough financial situation which I can’t totally explain, but I would say to Brock, ‘You’re probably going to see it in free agency and it’s not going to be fun, but I want you to know, our goal, we all feel this way about you.’” 

Shanahan didn’t want Purdy walking into talks without knowing where the coaching staff stood. “There is a business aspect to it which makes things hard. But he needs to hear how I feel about him before they’re negotiating and he takes that personal,” Shanahan said. In The Rich Eisen Show, Purdy also praised how the coach was a big inspiration for him during his contract talks.

Ultimately, the 49ers secured their star QB with a five-year, $265 million deal. And Purdy got clarity not just in the business side but also on what he means for the organisation. Amid these changes, analysts and experts are beginning to take notice of Shanahan’s other evolving staff, which has earned them a special spot in ESPN rankings.

Brock Purdy’s 49ers take a major leap in ESPN rankings because of the HC?

Considering the massive changes in the past season, it’s not surprising to see that the team has quickly jumped up one spot in ESPN’s rankings. ESPN analyst Ben Solak has just dropped his annual rankings of NFL coaching staffs, offering a more detailed view than just win-loss records. His evaluation considers not only the head coach but also the three main coordinators, offensive, defensive, and special teams, as well as the locker room dynamics.

Back in 2024, the San Francisco 49ers ranked No. 4 in Solak’s list, largely due to the presence of Shanahan. But both his defensive and special teams coordinators, Nick Sorensen and Brian Schneider, are now gone. They’ve been replaced by Robert Saleh on defense and Brant Boyer on special teams.

“The 49ers had a weird defensive coaching arrangement last season. Nick Sorensen, who had alternated between coordinating special teams and coaching defensive backs in his career, was the titular defensive coordinator. But assistant head coach Brandon Staley had a heavy hand in introducing new fronts and coverages to the tried-and-true Legion of Boom-inspired defense the 49ers had run successfully for years,”  Solak wrote.

The return of Saleh perhaps stabilizes the defensive side of the ball and helps the 49ers to jump to No. 3 in Solak’s 2025 rankings. Considering Saleh’s experience, Solak believes the 49ers’ defense could be one of the breakout units in 2025. After a turbulent season, the revamped 49ers have a better chance of returning them to playoff contention.