Why Tony Dungy Believes Kyle Shanahan Is Top Candidate For Nfl Coach Of The Year

Why Tony Dungy believes Kyle Shanahan is top candidate for NFL Coach of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With so many absences on the 49ers’ roster, former head coach and Football Night in America’s Tony Dungy believes that Kyle Shanahan deserves to be considered for the 2025 NFL Coach of the Year. 

The former Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area and shared why Shanahan deserves credit for the 49ers being in contention for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. 

“I think it’s a tribute to Coach Shanahan, how he’s been able to keep things together, to keep people believing,” Dungy said. “To adjust for the loss of these guys, do things a little bit differently, and it’s been an amazing job coaching. That’s all I can say. I don’t know who I’m going to vote for yet, but he’s definitely right there at the top.” 

The 49ers went through a purge of talented veteran players during the offseason, including both linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga signing with the Denver Broncos, as well as Deebo Samuel being traded to the Washington Commanders. Then the injuries hit the team hard early in the season with Nick Bosa and Fred Warner suffering season-ending injuries, in addition to George Kittle and Brock Purdy missing several games.

“I have a vote on the AP, and when you think of Coach of the Year, you lose some players before the season, starting in free agency — Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Aiyuk not really being there. Deebo Samuel, you lose your quarterback for half the year, George Kittle is your bell cow on offense. He’s in and out of the lineup.

“Then you lose Bosa, then you lose your defensive leader in Fred Warner. That would be enough to cripple most teams.”

If the 49ers can win their final two regular-season games, they would clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC and have home-field advantage as long as they stay alive in the postseason. Dungy believes it is one of the biggest stories of the year.

“[In that situation] you say, ‘If we can get to 500, that would be a good year based on everything that’s happened,’” Dungy said. “And now you’ve got two games to win to be the number one seed. It’s really unbelievable.”

First, the 49ers need to get past the Chicago Bears, their effective ground game and second-year playcaller in Caleb Williams on Sunday Night Football. Dungy believes that if the 49ers can force the young quarterback to throw the ball and not rely on the run game, Shanahan and his team will have a great chance to manage a Week 17 win.

Then, all that will stand in San Francisco’s way of the No. 1 seed will be division rival Seattle Seahawks in Week 18.

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