Not even 24 hours after he helped the Atlanta Falcons choke up the worst come from ahead loss in Super Bowl history, Kyle Shanahan was announced as the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan named head coach of the #49ers.
Details: https://t.co/EKUREYsuFw pic.twitter.com/N6AuEJpe2L
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) February 7, 2017
Needless to say, after Sunday night’s second half debacle, some of the bloom is off the rose and probably made any final negotiations on the 49ers’ end a little easier.
Shanahan will join new general manager John Lynch in what should be a complete and total rebuild. The 49ers will have the cap space and the draft picks to make some noise this offseason.
“This is a very exciting day for the San Francisco 49ers and our fans,” 49ers CEO Jed York said. “Throughout this process, we learned many things about Kyle that convinced us he is the perfect coach to lead this team. Over the years, he has proven to be one of the brightest minds in the game of football and his recent success speaks for itself. Kyle’s leadership has brought the best out of his players at every phase of his career and we look forward to watching him build a talented staff to accomplish the same with our players.”
Like Lynch, Shanahan signed a six-year deal.
Kyle Shanahan Super Bowl week: Lost his playbook on media day. Lost his f—ing mind on game day. #GoodLuckFrisco
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) February 6, 2017
Forgetting the Super Bowl for a moment, and, God, wouldn’t we all like to, Shanahan did a masterful job calling plays most of the season. The Falcons set new offensive records with 6.7 yards per play and 415.8 yards per game. It all looked like it would be a crowning achievement in a dominating first half of Super Bowl LI. Then, you know, he shit the bed.
But Shanahan was still the right man for the job. The best available coach in what kind of turned out to be a shotgun wedding with no other available jobs. Shanahan has been in the NFL since 2004 and, unlike a lot of coach’s sons, didn’t owe his career to his dad, Mike.
Instead, Shanahan coached with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Texans from 2004-2009 before joining his father in Washington for four seasons. For the last two years Shanahan has called plays for the Falcons.
Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan are going to have nightmares over this 3rd and 1 play call…in shotgun, 5-step drop. NEEDED 1 YARD. https://t.co/1h13au4HQO
— Brian Billick (@CoachBillick) February 6, 2017
Shanahan, of course, has some family history with the 49ers. His dad Mike was the offensive coordinator in San Francisco from 1992-1994.
Now the real work begins for Shanahan and Lynch. The 49ers need a serious roster purge and upgrade and the upcoming NFL draft is essential. Sitting at the No. 2 pick, San Francisco will very likely have a shot at one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft.
Steelers cut Justin Gilbert
Justin Gilbert’s bizarre NFL career has probably come to an end. Monday, a day after the Super Bowl, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut him to avoid a $1.2 million roster bonus due in March.
Laugh at the Browns all you want but I assure you many teams were high on Justin Gilbert
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) February 6, 2017
Pittsburgh acquired Gilbert from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a six round pick in 2018. The Browns took Gilbert No. 8 overall in the 2014 NFL draft because of course they did. While in Cleveland, Gilbert not only was terrible at the job he was paid millions to do, but had a real narcolepsy problem when it came to game preparation. He reportedly fixed that issue in Pittsburgh, but barely ever saw the field.
Super Bowl LII odds are out
Cleveland Browns fans, I hope you are sitting down. Once again the oddsmakers have disrespected your team by putting you at the bottom of the list of teams and their chances to make it to Super Bowl LII.
See y'all at Super Bowl LII pic.twitter.com/6wFdxpUbsJ
— N (@TheLifeOfNeeji) February 6, 2017
Both the Browns and the San Francisco 49ers are 300-1 to make it to the big dance. Next up, the Los Angeles Rams, the Chicago bears and the New York Jets all at 100-1.
There’s no real surprise at the top of the list. The New England Patriots are 5-1 as of this writing, with the Dallas Cowboys right under them at 8-1. The Pittsburgh Steelers are next at 10-1 and the defending NFC Champions are at 12-1 along with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
So where’s the best money lie on this list? The Oakland Raiders are 20-1 and so are the New York Giants. Those look solid to me. The Washington Redskins at 40-1 could make somebody a lot of cash next year too.
To make a wager on any sport, go to the world famous Diamond Sportsbook by clicking here.
