Kyle Shanahan was only 37 years of age when he accepted the San Francisco 49ers’ head coaching position in 2017.
That was eight years ago. Now, Kyle Shanahan is three months removed from his 45th birthday. But by looking at side-by-side comparison photos, you’d swear that Shanahan has aged 20-something years.
A photo of Shanahan at the NFL’s annual meetings surfaced. Social media detectives compared it to a 2017 photo of a baby-faced Shanahan when he became the 49ers’ head coach:
Of course, Shanahan would look a lot younger if he dyed his hair and/or shaved (or dyed) his beard. We all see significant differences in our physical appearances as we age, but the transition from the late 30s to the early 40s is especially a noticeable change.
Let’s not forget how much stress NFL coaches go through. During the season, they work tirelessly and get very little sleep, and Kyle Shanahan is no exception.
And in Shanahan’s defense, he’s worked through plenty of ultra-stressful games during his tenure in San Francisco. That includes two close Super Bowl losses to Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs and back-to-back NFC Championship Game defeats in 2021 and 2022.
The 49ers finished last in the NFC West last season with a 6-11 record. The season was derailed by injuries to key players, including Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward and Nick Bosa.
Kyle Shanahan Faces Immense Pressure Entering 2025
It’s not a stretch to suggest that Shanahan could be coaching for his job in 2025. Though he’s led the 49ers to two NFC title banners, Shanahan is only 70-62-0 in eight seasons as their head coach. That stretch includes four seasons of double-digit losses.
It’s not Super Bowl-or-bust for the 49ers in 2025, but another losing season could prompt the York family to make sweeping changes. That may include cutting ties with Shanahan and/or GM John Lynch if the 49ers don’t improve.
