For the first time in 20 years, the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to extend the contract of their head coach, inking Kyle Shanahan to a new 6-year contract that will keep him at the helm of the franchise through the 2025 season. The new deal which replaces the three years remaining on Shanahan's previous contract, comes a year after he helped lead the Niners to an NFC-best 13-3 record and an NFC Championship. Despite losing a heart-breaker which saw the 49ers squander a 10-point lead with under 7 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, Shanahan's Niners shocked the league by punching their ticket to Miami for the big game and nearly shocked the world by winning it before some late-game heroics by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. One of, if not the brightest young offensive minds in the league today, Shanahan is poised to finally coaching his team to a Super Bowl victory after coming oh so close twice now as the offensive coordinator with Atlanta in 2016 and this past season in San Francisco. And with a young crop of talent on both sides of the ball, the 49ers (7-1) are the front runners to represent the NFC in next year's Super Bowl and currently own the third best odds to win it, behind only the defending champion Chiefs (4-1) and last year's MVP in Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (13-2).
In his first three full seasons at the helm, the 40-year old Shanahan owns an overall record of 25-26 (including playoffs), following two turbulent seasons that included a rebuild as well as a myriad of injuries. But as they say, the third time was a charm for Shanny and co. as the team righted the ship and took off in 2019. The new deal which was offered by team owner Jed York, makes Shanahan one of the top-5 highest-paid coaches in the NFL, and marks the first time that a second pact has been offered to a 49ers head coach in over two decades since Steve Mariucci was offered a second contract by the team in 1999. With Shanahan and general manager John Lynch each signing matching six-year deals with San Francisco back in 2017, Lynch, who has also done a superb job since taking over the position, could very well be the next man up for a new contract in the 49ers front-office. In the meantime, Lynch has a tough task at hand in working out a contract extension for arguably the team's best player.
Next in line for a hefty payday with the 49ers is Pro Bowl tight-end George Kittle. Entering the last year of his rookie deal, Kittle, a former fifth round pick out of Iowa, is certain to reset the tight-end market as we know it as he and his agent have been fighting tooth and nail to get Kittle a new deal that will not only make him the highest paid at his position, but would also pay him for more than just a tight-end as Kittle's agent has expressed his desire to get his client paid like a receiver, given his blocking ability and the countless other things he brings to the table. Having averaged 87 receptions,more than 1,200 yards and 5 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Kittle's camp has a legitimate beef. While the demands would scare off most teams and with both sides being far apart in terms of figures according to early reports, Lynch has assured fans that both sides will eventually work something out and that Kittle, "isn't going anywhere."
Lastly, with the novel Corona virus pandemic dealing a blow to the offseason training programs by many teams and players, a number of 49ers were reunited in Nashville, Tennessee where they took part in pass catching drills. With the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Kendrick Bourne, Jalen Hurd and many others on hand, the team has been able to turn these uncharted and unprecedented times into a positive while continuing to build chemistry. However, one player that took part and wasn't so lucky is receiver Deebo Samuel. A second-round pick in last year's Draft, Deebo made quite the impression on the 49ers staff when he made a splash with the team and showcased his impressive versatility on offense. Having his workout cut short on Tuesday, Samuel suffered a broken foot that will require surgery and likely sideline him anywhere between 10 and 16 weeks. While the possibility of having Deebo back in time for the season-opener still remains, the injury definitely puts a fire under a handful of receivers the Niners will certainly need contributions from in Dante Pettis, 2020 first round pick Brandon Aiyuk and the aforementioned Bourne and Hurd who missed all of his rookie season last year while nursing back problems.
In his first season last year out of South Carolina, Samuel averaged 14.1 yards per catch and caught 57 balls for 802 yards and 3 touchdowns, trailing only Kittle in those categories, while also adding 159 yards and three TD's on the ground.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
