Blog Post

Kyle Shanahan Odds For Coach of the Year

Brad Graham • May 25, 2021

Shanahan looking to snag the award that he missed out on in 2019.

Who wins NFL Coach of the Year in 2021? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/GEYKr7gLxU
— PFF (@PFF) May 25, 2021

Kyle Shanahan heads into the 2021 season tied as the betting favorite to be the NFL Coach of the Year, via PFF.

Many fans felt that Shanahan should have took home the award in 2019 after he led the 49ers to a 13-3 record after two dismal years to start his tenure with team. The Niners had the 2nd-best scoring offense in the league, scoring at a clip of 29.9 points a game. They also had a top notch defensive unit led by Robert Saleh that only allowed 19.4 points a game, landing them 8th overall in scoring allowed. Yet, the coach that led the 49ers to a 13-3 record was snubbed for the award by many's opinion.

This season, the Kyle Shanahan has re-loaded the offensive line by making Trent Williams the highest-paid tackle in NFL history along with bringing in veteran All-Pro center Alex Mack. The team also added via the draft spending a high pick on G Aaron Banks out of Notre Dame.

Kyle is known for running the football as he accumulated over 2,300 rushing yards in 2019. Another room aided by the draft, Mostert, Wilson, Hasty, and Gallman are now joined by Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell.

If the 49ers can get back to their brand of football, which is running the ball and predicating the pass game off of play-action, there is no reason why the 49ers offense can't be the leagues best offensive unit, with either Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance running the show.

The defensive side of the ball has also been reloaded even though the group lost it's leader in Robert Saleh to the New York Jets head coaching job. Fear not, DeMeco Ryans steps in to continue the plan left by Saleh. Ryans was a formidable linebacker during his playing days and will bring that same energy he played with on Sunday's to this group.

Health is the name of the game for this unit. If they can stay healthy, the sky is the limit. Nick Bosa and Dee Ford will be returning from injuries that kept them out of most of the 2020 season. Javon Kinlaw looks primed to take the next step in his development and with the additions of Samson Ebukam and Zack Kerr via free agency, the defensive line looks to get back to their 2019 ways.

All the DB's have returned to the roster with the exception of Richard Sherman, who has told me there is a still a path available for a return to the 49ers in 2021. This group will look to lockdown opposing offenses like we saw from the unit in 2019.

All-Pro Fred Warner leads a great linebacker group who is primed to take the next step forward with young LB's like Greenlaw and Al-Shaair.

Kyle Shanahan has every oppertunity to take home the Coach of the Year award, even if a rookie QB were to be running his offense in 2021.

It's clear that Shanahan is one of the great offensive minds that this league has ever seen. He now has an oppertunity to show the rest of the league why he's the best head coach in the NFL.

#IKWT

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