Is Kyle Shanahan on the hot seat? That’s the noise in San Francisco currently. The Niners are at an underwhelming 5-7 record after the Bills thrashed them 31-10. Who can say they were in the Super Bowl just in February? No one. So, we can feel the vibe… But GM John Lynch laughed off the chatter. To be precise, he said: “I found the whole discussion on Kyle rather comical.” Um, okay. Fair enough response to a rather unusual chatter. However, here’s where things get interesting.

Alright, stay with me on this one. NBC’s Mike Florio just couldn’t resist poking fun at 49ers GM John Lynch. After Lynch’s recent comments, Florio penned a whole article titled, “On Kyle Shanahan’s future, only the opinions of Jed York matter.” Now, Florio isn’t wrong—hierarchically speaking. After all, York’s the boss. The 49ers’ CEO, who runs the show. But Florio added a spicy take: “Lynch didn’t hire Shanahan. Shanahan hired Lynch. If Shanahan goes, chances are Lynch goes, too.” Harsh? Maybe. Accurate? Let’s dig in.

Flashback to 2017, Lynch wasn’t even thinking about being a GM. He was just a broadcaster watching the Falcons–Seahawks playoff game, where Kyle happened to have the Falcons’ O-line on lock like a maestro. That’s not us making a whole story… Lynch admitted this on a podcast in 2021, “I was just fascinated with Kyle Shanahan and what he was doing… and I said some nice things about Kyle.”

Apparently, those nice words stuck, because when Shanahan became the frontrunner for the 49ers’ head coach role, Lynch made a bold move. He called Shanahan and asked, “What about me?” as GM. For the most part, all of us thought they knew each other since long back. Ah well, there goes that theory down the drain.

The rest, as they say, is history. Lynch flew out, met with Shanahan and York, and bam—they clicked. Shanahan believed in Lynch’s vision, and York sealed the deal. So, while Florio’s theory of “one goes, the other follows” might seem harsh, it’s rooted in their intertwined journey. Lynch and Shanahan weren’t just thrown together; they chose each other. That bond? Yes, it might be the breathing proof of ride-or-die.

Now that we are on the same page on the ‘together’ part… Let’s take on the next aspect. The chance of Kyle Shanahan getting fired.

Is it time for San Francisco to move on from Kyle Shanahan?

If we’d ask directly like that, you can bet on one thing that Mike Florio would say YES! His reasoning, as he put it: “It’s starting to feel like both sides could use a fresh start.” Fair enough. And let’s not sugarcoat it. 2024 hasn’t been one of Shanahan’s chef kiss seasons at all. On the contrary,  a 5-7 record, sitting dead last in the NFC West, has fans venting their frustrations.

However, that’s where we should pause for a second. Remember Tomsula? Kelly? Erickson? Yeah, Shanahan’s worst day still beats the “coaching dark ages” of the past. Some fans want Shanahan out, but most are just frustrated about the bigger picture—injuries, tragedies, and missed opportunities. And boy, these (combined together) have been hard-hitting.

Losing Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey to season-ending injuries? There goes the offense. Then, your D tanks, Trent Williams and Charvarius Ward, both lost their children? The thought of it alone can cripple a parent’s mind. Now, how can anyone imagine those two to just shrug it off and be 100% on the gridiron? That’s just unfair.

Now, couple that with add in defensive meltdowns. Voila! You’ve got a ‘golden’ storm of issues that would challenge any coach. But Shanahan’s not throwing his DC, Nick Sorensen, under the bus, saying: “I’m very satisfied with Nick… Not satisfied with the results. But the results here these last two weeks haven’t changed my opinion on Nick.” Still, something’s gotta give. The defense has allowed 73 points in two weeks. Whether it’s scheme adjustments or a roster overhaul, the Niners need changes ASAP. Sorensen is a first-time DC, so maybe there’s a Robert Saleh-like breakthrough waiting.

You see, The Niners have set a standard. This season, the team did not even meet half of those standards. But do you think, to call for Kyle Shanahan’s head is a fair enough solution to all the problems? To each its own… And still, as Florio said: Nobody’s opinion matters other than the owner’s.

However, we feel like giving you some hope. So, here’s a crazy equation for you. If the 49ers beat the Bears and the Cardinals help out by beating the Seahawks, San Francisco could be just one game out of first place. This season feels like it’s gone off the rails, but hey, crazier things have happened.