“Kyle Shanahan or Matt LaFleur, one of them gets fired,” sports analyst Jason McIntyre stirred the NFL world with his comments about the San Francisco 49ers head coach. However, head coach Shanahan has defenders stepping up for him. Even the former Pro Bowl safety Donte Whitner refused to believe McIntyre’s words.
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“Kyle Shanahan is one of these guys who people consistently put in the hot seat conversation for whatever reason,” Whitner said on The Grit Code Podcast. “And there’s no way in hell Kyle Shanahan gets fired. Stop it. You can criticize him, you can question his decisions, you can say the 49ers eventually have to finish the job. But firing Kyle? For who? That’s like complaining about your Ferrari because you haven’t won every race, then trading it in for a Honda, and hoping that it goes faster. Be careful what you ask for.
“Kyle has built one of the most consistent contenders in football. He’s developed quarterbacks, he’s built elite offenses, he’s been to Super Bowls and NFC Championship games. Should there be pressure? Absolutely. Standards should be championships. But pressure and getting fired are two completely different conversations.”
Shanahan has been leading the 49ers for the past nine seasons. He has won 82 out of 149 games for San Francisco. In the postseason games, he has a record of 9-5. Prior to that, he was the offensive quality control for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and later developed wide receivers and quarterbacks for the Houston Texans, before becoming their offensive coordinator. He continued as an offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, and the Atlanta Falcons. In 2017, he moved to the role of head coach with the 49ers.
Throughout his career, he has reached three Super Bowls (Super Bowl LI with the Falcons, and Super Bowls LIV and LVIII with the 49ers). He further helped the Niners in four NFC Championship appearances. He even has a couple of awards to back his legacy. He won AP Assistant Coach of the Year (2016) and Sporting News Coach of the Year (2019).
The 49ers have reached the Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game under Shanahan. But they haven’t converted those opportunities into a Lombardi Trophy yet. And now, all eyes are on the Niners’ opening game against the Los Angeles Rams on September 10. If the 49ers stand up to the fans’ expectations, fans will speculate on what went wrong instead of asking the front office to fire the head coach.
“If the 49ers disappoint, we can talk about what went wrong,” Whitner went on. “But Kyle coaching for his job? There’s no way in hell I’m ever buying that. So, stop it, McIntyre. Stop it, all of you pundits and you scribes. Kyle Shanahan is a top-five head coach in the National Football League, and he will remain that for the near future.”
It’s worth noting that Shanahan also met with an accident and spent some time in hospital ahead of training camp in July. He suffered a concussion, fractured nose, ribs, and left hand, along with facial lacerations. Nevertheless, he took complete responsibility for the collision. Despite that, the head coach bounced back into action and helped the Niners train for the new season.
Whitner seemed to believe that calling for Shanahan’s job is an overreaction. After all, Shanahan has proven time and again that he possesses the elite coaching acumen required to navigate his team to the game’s biggest stage.