There’s an emotional weight to Kyle Shanahan coaching the 49ers. He isn’t just coaching any franchise, he’s coaching the one that helped shape his childhood. His father, Mike Shanahan, was an assistant coach with the 49ers back in 1994 when they last won a Super Bowl, guiding Steve Young and Jerry Rice to glory. That legacy still looms over Kyle’s tenure. And their GM, John Lynch?

He lifted the Lombardi as a Hall of Fame safety with the Buccaneers, but as a GM, his championship case remains empty. That contrast cuts deep. Both men have flirted with greatness but haven’t sealed it. And in a city where five Lombardis still sparkle in the archives, almost-good-enough just doesn’t land the same anymore.

One more season without a playoff berth, and someone will get fired. “If somehow the 49ers were to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row, someone will get fired,” wrote Grant Cohn of SI. “This time, they might fire Shanahan or Lynch or both.” That’s a warning shot specified by the end result.

The NFL once praised Shanahan for making the most out of less, turning Jimmy Garoppolo into a winner, dragging a wounded roster to a Super Bowl appearance, and getting Brock Purdy from Mr. Irrelevant to nearly unbeatable. But now the ask is different. Now he’s got to win with youth. Like Sean McVay does in L.A. year after year, he loses stars, drafts 14 rookies, and still makes the playoffs.

The same goes for John Lynch. He was once the architect behind the league’s most complete roster. But 2025 tells a different story. The 49ers are navigating a cap crunch after locking in big-money deals for Brock Purdy, Fred Warner, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey. They had to trade away Deebo Samuel and Dre Greenlaw just to breathe. And Lynch? He called it a necessary shift toward the young and hungry.

But can they balance teaching with winning? And fast? Training camp opened under a microscope. Six defensive rookies are in the mix, injuries have already decimated the wide receiver corps, and there’s a kicker competition brewing. Mykel Williams, Upton Stout, Jordan Watkins, these unproven names must step up or the season will slip through their fingers. And every slip will land squarely on Shanahan and Lynch.

Kyle Shanahan needs to justify his decisions or prepare for doomsday

Kyle Shanahan’s biggest worry has been the quarterback. Brock Purdy’s new $265 million contract means he’s the guy. Period. So there’s no more quarterback carousel to point at, no excuses about instability under center. And while Shanahan helped turn Purdy into gold, he also has to live with the price tag.

Everyone predicted Purdy to receive an extension in the 40s. But both Shanahan and Lynch wanted to keep him and went the extra mile. Now, they need to justify. And the only way forward is the playoffs. That’s the bare minimum. It might keep their jobs safe.

It doesn’t help that legends are beginning to speak up. Jerry Rice, the franchise’s crown jewel, openly called this team “a big question mark.” And yet Shanahan insists they’ll be fine. They fired the defensive and special teams coordinators last season after a 6-11 finish. That scapegoat play won’t work again. If 2025 goes south, the next firings will be at the top.

The 49ers enter the 2025 season with urgency written all over them. Additionally, Shanahan is earning $14 million per year, the highest-paid head coach in North American sports without a single championship to his name. That fact alone is damning. For years, his supporters leaned on potential, scheme brilliance, and he got close. But close doesn’t keep jobs in a results league. And in July 2025, with a revamped roster and an impatient ownership group, the 49ers aren’t playing for progress. They’re playing for survival.