Head coaches and quarterbacks usually shake hands at the end of a football game. But on Sunday, fans didn’t get to see Kyle Shanahan greeting Andy Reid after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
That immediately gave a lot to talk about around the league, with many seeing Shanahan’s snub as unsportsmanslike conduct. However, it turns out that both coaches agree to skip the handshake during the week , regardless of who won the game.
“We talked on Monday [Feb. 5],” Shanahan said, via CBS Sports. “When we played each other last time, it took about 25 minutes to shake his hand. So, we both talked on Monday that regardless of who won, I mean I love Andy, I’m tight with Andy, but we talked both of us are going to do that because it’s too hard to get to each other after these Super Bowls.”
That’s a fair point. While any reason they could have had should deserve respect, this actually makes a lot of sense. Every ending of a Super Bowl sees multiple people celebrating on the field, with cameras all over the place, making it complicated for coaches to find each other quickly.
Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs (L) and head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers meet on stage during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium on February 05, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Shanahan and Reid did get to shake hands in Super Bowl LIV, when the Chiefs also got the upper hand against the Niners. This time, both coaches preferred to talk to each other before the game to avoid the chaotic postgame scene.
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Just like in the 2020 Super Bowl, Shanahan saw Patrick Mahomes and company turn things around against his Niners in the big game. Before that, he had also lost a Super Bowl as the Falcons‘ offensive coordinator.
“There’s nothing different to say. I mean, I don’t care how you lose when you lose Super Bowls, especially ones you think you can pull off, it hurts. When you’re in the NFL, I think every team should hurt, except for one at the end,” Shanahan said.
It was quite a painful ending to the season for San Francisco, who was seen as strong favorite for the title not only during the regular season, but also in the Super Bowl week. Shanahan was even in contention for the Coach of the Year award, so it’s safe to say losing to the Chiefs left the 49ers with a bittersweet taste.
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“We’ve gotten pretty damn close, but we haven’t pulled it off,” the 49ers coach added. “We’re hurting right now, but it doesn’t take away from how proud of our guys I am. I’m really proud of them today, too. As part of sports, as part of football, as part of life, as part of life. I’m glad we put ourselves out there. I love our team. We’ll recover, and we’ll be back next year strong.”
