Another terrible news hit the 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announce his retirement due to sorrowfully
Perhaps you’re wondering, “What are we holding him accountable for?” That’s an excellent question, particularly in light of the 49ers’ four-year success as one of the NFL’s top teams.
Since the beginning of the 2019 regular season, San Francisco has triumphed in 63.6 percent of its games. With this, the 49ers are now second only to Green Bay in the NFC and fifth in the NFL. During this time, they have also advanced to the Super Bowl and multiple NFC Championship Games.
If we can be honest for a moment, let’s do so. What matters to those demanding to “hold Kyle Shanahan accountable” aren’t wins or losses. It has to do with the belief that Shanahan handled Trey Lance poorly and his dislike for the quarterback he has been winning with.
With the exception of five weeks near the end of the 2017 campaign, Jimmy Garoppolo was a never-ending source of criticism.
The 49ers had success when Garoppolo was healthy, going 38-17 in his 55 starts during the regular season. Additionally, he assisted them in getting to the conference finals and the Super Bowl.
San Francisco’s issue is that he was unable to remain on the field. Garoppolo played in just nine games in 2018 and 2020 due to injuries.
After Garoppolo was injured in Week 13’s game against Miami, the last pick in the 2022 draft took over. He didn’t lose until an injury in the NFC championship game prevented him from throwing.
Purdy’s critics spent the offseason dissecting his fantastic performance. Every good thing became a bad thing. He lacks sufficient arm strength. He is limited in size. He was performing alongside George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.
This was all about one thing: lifting Lance and putting Purdy down.
The two main points of contention for those who feel Shanahan handled Lance poorly are that he ought to have started as a rookie and that they gave up on him after just four starts.
Lance was given every chance to earn the starting position during training camp his first year by Kyle Shanahan. He was unable to defeat Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan persisted in trying to get Lance out on the field. An early attempt to play both was shelved after resistance from Garoppolo and veterans.
After Garoppolo was sidelined by an injury in the fourth week of the Seattle Mariners game, the door opened once more for Lance to assume the position. Due to a knee injury sustained during his first start, Lance was sidelined for two weeks, forcing the 49ers to rush Garoppolo back to take on Indianapolis.
The reason Lance has only received four starts is entirely related to injuries. Lance was prepared to lead the 49ers in 2022.
It was intended for him to receive 17 starts if his ankle injury had not prevented him from playing the entire season. These would have been in addition to the starts he was injured enough to miss during his rookie campaign.
Brock Purdy will be Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s starting quarterback going forward. They think he’s capable of taking them to their first Super Bowl.
Trey Lance’s tenure in San Francisco came to an end on Friday, and he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2024 pick.
Was it a mistake to trade up to three in 2021? Indeed. In 49ers history, this is the worst draft trade.
Wins and losses, not draft picks, are what matter in the NFL. Even though Shanahan missed the pick, he is still winning, filling Jed York’s coffers and packing Levi’s Stadium. You can bet that York will hold Shanahan accountable if things don’t work out with Purdy and the 49ers lose.
Enjoy all the winnings till then.
