The San Francisco 49ers have experienced a ton of success under head coach Kyle Shanahan. He has done a great job of turning things around the last six seasons after some tumultuous years following Jim Harbaugh’s departure from the Bay Area.
After Harbaugh left to take over the head coach job at his alma mater, Michigan, things were a mess for the 49ers. Kyle Shanahan was the third head coaching hire they made in three years following one-year stints by Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly.
After recording a losing season in his first two seasons at the helm, Kyle Shanahan has guided the team to plenty of wins. The 49ers have made the NFC Championship Game three out of the last four seasons, winning once.
His quarterback throughout the majority of that time was Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers acquired Garoppolo from the New England Patriots in October 2018 to become their new starter. When he was healthy, the 49ers were among the best teams in the NFL, but San Francisco opted to go in a different direction starting in 2022.
Kyle Shanahan and his staff decided it was time to see what Trey Lance had to offer. Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was named the starter early on. They looked for a place to send Garoppolo, but offseason surgery led to a cold market and eventually he restructured his deal to remain with the team.
It ended up being a good thing for San Francisco, as Lance was injured in Week 2 and Garoppolo stepped back into the lineup. But, after Garoppolo got injured himself and Brock Purdy took over and succeeded, it was clear that his future was no longer in the Bay Area.
So, this offseason, Garoppolo signed a free agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Recently, Kyle Shanahan was asked if he had talked to his former quarterback and provided an answer that can be taken as a slight at Garoppolo.
That certainly sounds like some shade from Kyle Shanahan being thrown at his former player. Regardless of what their relationship may have been, each now has something else to focus on. Garoppolo will look to lead the Raiders back to the postseason, while Kyle Shanahan looks to get the 49ers back over the hump and add another ring to the 49ers’ stable of them.
