Kyle Shanahan once again guided the San Francisco 49ers to the playoffs, but once again the season ended short of another Super Bowl appearance. After the year came to a close, the 49ers drew blunt reactions from analysts Chase Senior and David Lombardi, who shared their takes following the tough loss that ended San Francisco’s season.
“Great season for the 49ers, who finish 13-6 despite a mass injury event of epic proportions. They even got a road playoff win over the defending Super Bowl champions. The 49ers eventually and predictably fell off the tightrope against a great Seattle team,” Lombardi wrote on X.
Lombardi also compared San Francisco’s situation to another California team, Sean McVay’s Rams, while pointing to areas that need improvement heading into the 2026 season. “Also solid considering it was Year 1 of the cap reset. SF did better than the 2023 LA Rams model. Fascinating offseason of opportunity ahead. Separators for Brock Purdy should be at the top of the shopping list,” Lombardi added.
Injuries were a key weakness, according to Lombardi
Shanahan entered the playoff matchup against the Seahawks knowing several key players were sidelined with injuries. Those same players had helped the 49ers beat Seattle earlier in the season, something Lombardi was quick to point out.
“I mean, the 49ers did win at Seattle when they did have their guys. And they didn’t even have all of them. No Aiyuk, Kittle hurt early and Purdy played over a half with turf toe,” Lombardi wrote in response to comments from Deommodore Lenoir, who suggested the outcome could have been different had the team been healthy.
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“To have those guys, it would have been a totally different game. But I mean we can’t make no excuses. We had enough guys in here to get the job done,” Lenoir said after the game. Lenoir was one of the few defensive players who stayed healthy all season and has now played 17-plus games since 2023.
Chase Senior was harsher in his assessment
One of the most vocal 49ers analysts throughout the season, Chase Senior did not hold back in his criticism of Shanahan after the playoff loss to Seattle. It marked the first time Shanahan failed to advance to a championship round after reaching the NFL playoffs.
“Kyle Shanahan was once again severely outclassed by Mike Macdonald. The 49ers have gone eight quarters without scoring a TD vs. Seattle’s defense. This 49ers offensive line is horrible. The Seahawks had a 47.4% pressure rate with a blitz rate of only 10.5%,” Senior wrote on X (@chase_senior).
Senior also questioned whether it might be time for John Lynch to step down as general manager, citing recent roster-building concerns. “Lynch is not close to being in the same tier as some of the top GMs in the NFL: Howie Roseman, Les Snead, Brett Veach and John Schneider.” Senior said.
Shanahan and Brock Purdy addressed the loss
Before breaking down the loss to Seattle, Shanahan took time to praise Christian McCaffrey’s season. “I think this was one of the most impressive seasons by an individual player ever, just in terms of what a warrior and man he is, week in and week out. I’ve never been around anything like it,” Shanahan said.
As for the team’s performance against the Seahawks, Shanahan was blunt. “No one played great today. No one coached great today. They got us pretty good. I thought Brock made a number of plays out there, but in the second half it got away from all of us,” he said.
Purdy, meanwhile, struck a more optimistic tone and emphasized the importance of getting healthy for next season. “Guys stepping up and the resiliency. The character and the heart of this team was unlike anything I have ever been a part of. I know a lot of guys were saying it. Kyle said it. Trent Williams said it. Everyone feels it. We’re gonna regroup, get guys healthy, and get back after it,” the quarterback said.
