George Kittle: Anybody who has Kyle Shanahan on the hot seat is “not the smartest”

Kyle Shanahan is one of a handful of NFL coaches who would immediately be hired elsewhere if his team ever moved on. In nine seasons with the 49ers, Shanahan has made five playoff appearances, with a 9-5 postseason record and two Super Bowl appearances.

The only thing he hasn’t done is win a ring.

49ers tight end George Kittle was asked whether Shanahan could find himself on the hot seat if the 49ers remain ringless after this season.

“Anybody that says Kyle Shanahan is on the hot seat, you guys are not the smartest,” Kittle told Nick Brinkerhoff of USA Today. “It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Shanahan finished fifth in Coach of the Year voting in 2025 after the 49ers qualified for the playoffs despite an injury-plagued season. Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Brock Purdy were among the players who missed time.

“The fact that we were able to go to the playoffs, win a road game, and make it to the second round is pretty incredible to me,” Kittle said.