Kyle Shanahans New Look Has 49ers Fans Talking Before Week 1

Fans are buzzing over coach Kyle Shanahan's clean-shaven look, sparking superstitions about the 49ers' Super Bowl chances.

Kyle Shanahan’s moustache run is over, and 49ers fans did not exactly take the news like adults.

The San Francisco coach showed up to the preseason with facial hair after debuting the look in training camp following his car accident in July. But when Shanahan met with the media on Monday, the moustache was gone, and that was enough to send social media into a tailspin.

“I regret to inform you all that the 49ers will NOT be winning the Super Bowl this season,” one fan tweeted.

“Worst cut of the offseason tbh,” another added.

“A disaster,” a third commented.

The reactions kept rolling in from there.

“Succumbed to the pressure. Should have rocked it all season,” one wrote.

“This is the worst day of my life,” another added.

“NOOOOOO!!!!” a user tweeted.

The new look did not survive all the way to the end of August, even though Shanahan had worn it through training camp.

While the moustache may be gone, the regular season is right around the corner for San Francisco. The 49ers will open the 2026 season against the LA Rams on Sept. 10, with kickoff set for 8:35 p.m.

ET at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. San Francisco will be the designated away team in what will be the first NFL international game in Australia.

Last season ended with a 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs. Shanahan has taken the 49ers to two Super Bowls since arriving in February 2017, but both trips ended in defeat.

In Other News...

49ers Now Face A Bigger Jed York Problem Than The Arrest

Jed Yorks recent legal trouble has already put the 49ers in an awkward spot, but the more immediate concern inside the organization may be what happens around the business side of the franchise if his presence stays limited. General manager John Lynch has said the team is preparing for possible league discipline while football operations continue under executive Al Guido, a setup that keeps the day-to-day work moving even as the owners status hangs over the building.

For now, the 49ers say the locker room and team activities have not been affected, which is the kind of answer clubs tend to give when they want the football to stay separate from everything else. Still, this is not just about the arrest itself. It is about how much of Yorks role can be carried out from a distance, how the league responds, and whether a franchise used to having its owner close at hand can keep functioning smoothly if that becomes the new normal. [Read more 🡒]

49ers Week 1 Could Hinge On A Rams Discipline Decision

The Rams enter their international opener against the 49ers with two notable players still available on paper, even as the league continues to weigh possible discipline. Puka Nacua is facing a civil lawsuit alleging physical assault and battery, and Alaric Jackson remains in the same waiting pattern, with neither player placed on the commissioners exempt list ahead of Week 1.

For San Francisco, the timing matters almost as much as the ruling itself. The NFL has shown before that suspensions can land in early September, but there has been no official announcement yet, leaving the 49ers to prepare for a division game with one more layer of uncertainty than usual. [Read more 🡒]

49ers Australia Plan Could Create A Huge Rams Debate

The 49ers trip to Australia for their 2026 season opener is already shaping up to be more than just a long-haul curiosity. San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams are set to open the NFL regular season in Melbourne on Sept. 10, and the contrast in travel plans has become part of the conversation before either team boards a plane.

The Rams intend to arrive the day before the game and leave immediately afterward, while the 49ers are planning to get there several days early to adjust to the time difference. That difference has prompted some outside debate about which approach is smarter for handling jetlag, with neurologist W. Christopher Winter suggesting the Rams shorter stay could actually be the better way to manage the trip. [Read more 🡒]