Five things 49ers fans should be thankful for this holiday season

The San Francisco 49ers are only 5-6. With several critical losses, they seem to be on the wrong end of the wild-card equation as they look toward a potential late-season playoff push. However, even in the middle of a disappointing season, there are plenty of things 49ers fans can be thankful for. Here’s a list of five:

1. Kyle Shanahan

The 49ers have sure had their fair share of struggles over the years, and head coaching carousel’s were constantly at the center of it. While Jed York has made plenty of mistakes during his time at the helm of the franchise, he deserves a decent amount of credit for learning from some of his biggest mistakes. It’s clear that York’s decision to side with Trent Baalke and fire Jim Harbaugh set the franchise back for several seasons, and it left Yok.

Shanahan has some glaring weaknesses, and perhaps they will prove to be too significant to ever lead the Niners to a Super Bowl title. However, for a franchise that has seen the disastrous tenures of head coaches like Dennis Erickson, Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary, Jim Tomsula, and Chip Kelly, a clearly competent coach who consistently keeps his players motivated and builds a competitive team is something worth being thankful for.

2. Fred Warner

There are plenty of players the Niners fanbase should be thankful for, but few have been a consistent impact player for longer than Fred Warner. A Day 1 starter who made it easy for San Francisco to deal with an ill-fated free agent investment in Malcolm Smith, Warner has easily been the 49ers best top three-round draft pick since Kyle Shanahan arrived.

Warner is on pace for his seventh consecutive season with at least 118 tackles. He will likely be selected a first-team All-Pro for the fourth time in his career, tying him with Navorro Bowman on the franchise’s all-time linebacker rankings and leaving him just one first-team selection away from tying Patrick Willis.

Oh yeah, and he’s apparently been playing through a fractured ankle this season.

3. The last three rounds of the draft

Despite the success of Shanahan’s tenure, it’s no secret that the top of the draft has had plenty of big misses. Luckily, or perhaps to the credit of the team’s scouting staff, they have been able to compensate for some of those mistakes with an incredible track record of late-round selections. George Kittle, Brock Purdy, Deommodore Lenoir, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and Jauan Jennings were all taken in the final three rounds of the draft. When you include undrafted free agents like Jordan Mason, and players who have since gone elsewhere (D.J. Jones, D.J. Reed, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Kendrick Bourne), it’s quite an impressive collection.

4. The Cowboys being the Cowboys

It’s fun for 49ers fans to watch their favorite team thrive, but for many fans, it’s even more enjoyable to watch the Dallas Cowboys (and their fanbase) flail in misery. As bad as things have gone for the 49ers this season, it’s gone worse in Dallas. The Cowboys are 4-7, five games back of the Eagles in the NFC East, just as buried in the race for the wild card, and have an aging core without a clear long-term plan. With the Eagles and emerging Commanders in their division, it is looking more and more likely that Jerry Jones will never get to see another Cowboys championship in his lifetime.

5. The 49ers 5 Championships

With every passing year, a smaller portion of the Niners’ fanbase has ever seen the team hoist the Lombardi Trophy. However, for plenty of folks, they can still look back in their memory to Joe Montana or Steve Young leading San Francisco to a victory in the big game. It sure may look like the 49ers are at risk of becoming the 90s Bills of the modern era, but at least the franchise has some championship history to hold onto. In a league where more than a third of franchises (12 to be exact), have never won the Super Bowl, it’s worth taking a moment to enjoy rooting for a team that has some history that is always fun to watch on NFL Films.

Related Posts

Report: Overnight ESPN Report Sends George Pickens’ Outlook Spiraling From Hope to Alarm

Tіmіng іѕ everythіng. аug 22, 2025; аrlіngton, Texаѕ, Uѕа; Dаllаѕ Cowboyѕ wіde receіver George ріckenѕ (3) before the gаme аgаіnѕt the аtlаntа Fаlconѕ аt аT&amр;аmр;T ѕtаdіum. Mаndаtory…

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: The AT&T Stadium Rename Was Supposed to Be Business, but Jerry Jones Is Learning It Has Become a Taxpayer Problem

Jerry Joneѕ Fаceѕ Heаt аfter аT&amр;аmр;T ѕtаdіum Nаme Chаnge аngerѕ Texаѕ Tаxраyerѕ аT&amр;аmр;T ѕtаdіum, home of the Dаllаѕ Cowboyѕ, wіll undergo ѕіgnіfіcаnt modіfіcаtіonѕ for the 2026 World…

BREAKING: Lions Expose Dallas’ Second Level in Detroit — and the Spotlight Is Now Squarely on Kenneth Murray

The Detroit Lions had their way with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14. They won 44-30, and their offense was able to rack up 408 yards and…

49ERS ON ALERT: Bryce Huff Already HALFWAY To Triggering Costly Trade Condition With Eagles — A Financial Ripple That Could Hit San Francisco Hard

  Getty The San Francisco 49ers didn’t just trade for a pass rusher when they acquired Bryce Huff from the Philadelphia Eagles, they also traded for a built-in incentive. Huff’s 2025 sack…

⚡️🚨 UPDATE NEWEST!! Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens kickoff just announced — and it’s not the usual time!

As the 2025 NFL season heads toward its final stretch, one of the most crucial matchups of the season will unfold this weekend when the Pittsburgh Steelers…

Josh Allen shocked the entire United States and sports media when he turned down a massive $45 million advertising offer from Mark Zuckerberg with this historic response: “Thank you for trusting me, but I want you to use that money to do something truly beneficial for the community, as there are too many children and families in Western New York who need it more than I do. I just want Buffalo and the whole country to become stronger.”

Josh Allen’s Historic Response to Mark Zuckerberg’s $45 Million Offer: A Heartwarming Moment for Western New York Josh Allen, the star quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, made…