Unfortunately for the San Francisco 49ers, this NFL season is ending well below expectations. Along with the team’s poor performance on the field, a series of injuries—some of them serious—have kept the Bay Area team from competing beyond Week 18. Deebo Samuel, one of their stars, has not been spared from this trend, and his coach Kyle Shanahan is already looking ahead to his future once the season concludes.
In a division as tight as the NFC West, the difference between the four franchises ultimately came down to small details. Had the 49ers’ coach had the majority of his players healthy throughout the season, there’s no doubt the story would have been different.
Deebo Samuel was sidelined for several weeks throughout the season, and it’s highly likely he won’t be available for the final matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. A rib and wrist injury have been troubling him lately, and while many view it as a potential end to the wide receiver’s career at the Bay, Shanahan remains confident in his recovery.
“It’s been up and down throughout the year,” head coach Kyle Shanahan stated to the press on Friday. “Even when he is good, he is still battling stuff through the season. Especially the way he plays and running with the ball and the physicality and everything, doing the kick returns. He’s hurting right now, but he’ll be alright a few weeks after the season.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers reacts during the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 10, 2024 in Seattle, Washington.
Samuel will enter the next season in the final year of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers. What remains to be seen by the front office is whether they will try to retain the player with a lucrative contract, or if, instead, his future will take him away from Levi’s Stadium.
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Shanahan is already looking ahead to the Offseason
Although there is an important game ahead, San Francisco is already looking positively toward projecting what the next season will hold for the franchise. Their coach lamented the number of injuries and hopes to avoid repeating mistakes as they move forward.
“I’d be much more excited to not have one and to go all the way to February again, but that is tough,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Friday. “When you go that that long, everyone needs to get away and by the time you come back there’s usually right when free agency’s starting and you’re not totally quite there yet.
“So, it’s going to be our first time since I think COVID being off in January. And it gives you more time to figure things out. It gives you time to go through the things like the cutups and stuff. You can finish most of that stuff all before the Super Bowl. And then you’re ready to go to other stuff like the Draft and free agency and all that as soon as the Super Bowl ends. So just being a lot more ahead of that is real exciting and I’m ready to get to it. We’ve known we’re out of the playoffs here for a little bit and everything’s about finishing this year up the right way and not cutting anything short, finishing your job. But I also have been able to look to when I can start improving next year and making sure we’re not in this position again. And I know that starts Monday.”
The coach’s self-criticism of his season
When results don’t go as expected in sports, it’s common to search for someone to blame. In this case, Kyle Shanahan, the leader of the 49ers, was asked how he felt after a disappointing season. The coach was candid with the press.
“I don’t understand how to answer that question,” he said. “I work as hard as I can at my individual performance. So I’m frustrated with our season, I’m responsible for everything, so I think you can figure that out.“
