When a team reaches the Super Bowl, you often hear about how tough it is to get back to the championship stage. While it hasn’t been difficult for the Kansas City Chiefs, the story has been much different for the San Francisco 49ers this season.
Facing multiple injuries, including having Christian McCaffrey for just four games, sent San Francisco into a spiral. One they’ve yet to recover from after falling to 6-8 on Thursday night.
The finger can be pointed in many different directions but as quarterback and head coach, some believe the blame falls on the shoulders of Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan. Only, the 49ers may not agree.
Related: See where Brock Purdy lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings
San Francisco 49ers sticking with Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan in 2025
The San Francisco 49ers’ struggles this season cannot be ignored. But neither can their recent successes. After all, this is still a team that made it to the Super Bowl last year.
However, as everyone is seeing, what happened last year does not carry over into a new season, and the 49ers are finding that out the hard way. It’s a tough lesson, especially for Brock Purdy, who will be entering a contract year next season. However, many expect the 49ers to discuss a long-term contract extension with their quarterback this offseason.
Or, does the fact that Purdy’s touchdown rate has dropped from 7.0% down to 3.9% provide cause for concern? What about Coach Shanahan? After four double-digit win seasons in the past five years, has the game caught up to Shanahan’s scheme?
Internally, the 49ers aren’t pressing the panic button when it comes to their head coach or quarterback. Both are still in San Francisco’s plans for 2025 and for years to come.
“And what about Kyle Shanahan? Despite this being the Niners’ worst season since 2020, Shanahan, in his eighth season with San Francisco, isn’t going anywhere. The mutual commitment between coach and franchise remains. Ignore all the rumors; the organization fully believes in his ability to lead the team forward, even after a rough year.
Call it a “Super Bowl second place hangover,” or just a down season, but the 49ers are sticking to their plan, betting on Purdy and Shanahan, and hoping the skies clear soon.”
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on San Francisco 49ers
One off season may not cause any panic inside the San Francisco 49ers’ organization. But if the franchise can’t get back on track in 2025, there could be changes coming to the Bay Area’s football team.
Related: Is Kyle Shanahan one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches?
