Kyle Shanahan had to face a lot of heat this year after the San Fransisco 49ers‘ last-minute loss at the Super Bowl. While many questioned his capabilities for his 0-3 record at the championship game, others believe he’s still in the running for one of the best 2024 head coaches in the league. One such supporter is the five-time Super Bowl champion Charles Haley.

The former Dallas Cowboys star expressed his opinion about the 49ers HC recently in an interview and dropped an unexpected reference: a crossover between WWE and the NFL! The former linebacker quoted a Brock Lesnar line, and it couldn’t be more apt!

Brock Lesnar’s iconic “chicken sh**” quote used for Kyle Shanahan

On the Up & Adams show, Haley was asked whether Shanahan and his crew still have it in them for a comeback this upcoming season. “I’ll tell you right now- Coach Shanahan is the best offensive coach in the league,” he responded. “He can take chicken sh** and turn it into chicken salad.” It wasn’t the first time we heard this iconic dialogue, though!

Back in 2021, UFC fighter Lesnar dropped this line for his team during The Ultimate Fighter. “We change chicken sh** into chicken salad. That’s what we are; we’re chicken sh**,” remarked the former MMA star in an attempt to hype up his team. His teammates weren’t too happy about the analogy, though, and Lesnar had to pacify them later. The unusual prep talk seemed to have worked, though, as his team member Chris Cope ultimately secured his win against Javier Torres.

In Shanahan’s context, Haley followed the reference with praise for the HC and hope for San Fransisco. “–And he’s proven that over and over again. They’ve got so many weapons on offense, so many toys for him to play with. It’s gonna be hard, it’s gonna be hard.” While the former Super Bowl champion has full faith in Shanahan, the 49ers squad doesn’t seem to be completely airtight ahead of the upcoming season.

Will the San Francisco 49ers lose key players in the 2024 season?

While the fans have gathered their hopes for the upcoming season after the championship defeat, there are a few players whose future lies uncertain. With a tight cap space of around $570,000, as per Spotrac, the franchise has two important decisions to make. The first is about their No. 1 quarterback, Brock Purdy. As the former Mr. Irrelevant stands to earn a meager $1.1 million in 2024, with the QB entering the last year of his rookie contract, an extension might be forthcoming. While this decision doesn’t seem to be an immediate need for this offseason, there is another player who isn’t as patient.

The ongoing tiff between San Francisco and their star wide receiver doesn’t seem to reach a common ground all throughout this offseason. With the latest reports of Aiyuk having demanded trade flooding the internet, chances are that the franchise might soon be on the lookout for a new receiver. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that due to no negotiations since May, the WR has finally asked for a trade. San Fransisco, however, isn’t backing down either. As per Adam Schefter, the franchise has refused trade offers to teams who’ve approached them for Aiyuk.

The Brandon Aiyuk saga seems to be reaching its climax, and soon, we might have a solid decision before us. For the time being, though, Kyle Shanahan and crew have some important negotiations to tackle and finesse their roster to perfection before the 2024 season approaches.