Kyle Shanahan’s place in San Francisco got a little more secure this offseason, even if the 49ers never made a public show of it.
The 49ers coach quietly signed a contract extension that will keep him with the team for the long term, a person familiar with the deal said Friday. The agreement was reached some time ago but was never announced by the club. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the extension hadn’t been made public, and did not say how long the new deal runs.
Owner Jed York had already said earlier this offseason that Shanahan was under contract through 2028 from an extension signed three years ago.
The Ringer first reported the extension.
Shanahan, 46, is heading into his 10th season running the Niners and remains one of the league’s most respected offensive minds. His résumé in San Francisco is already deep: a 92-72 record in the regular season and playoffs, and he is two games away from matching Bill Walsh for the most games coached in 49ers history at 166.
He is also closing in on another major mark. Shanahan is nearing George Seifert’s franchise record of 108 wins in the regular season and playoffs. Walsh has 102, and he is the only other coach in team history with more wins than Shanahan.
The results have included plenty of postseason football. Shanahan has taken San Francisco to the playoffs in five of his first nine seasons, with Super Bowl trips after the 2019 and 2023 seasons. The 49ers also reached the NFC title game twice more and went 12-5 last season, then added a wild-card win despite being hammered by injuries to several stars.
His standing around the league has been reflected in award voting, too. Shanahan has finished in the top five in AP NFL Coach of the Year voting four times and was runner-up in 2019 and 2022.
Shanahan’s offseason also included a frightening setback away from football. In July, he was involved in a car crash that left him with broken ribs, a broken hand, a broken nose, a concussion and 40 stitches for a cut near his eye.
Shanahan said he was at fault because he was reaching for his cellphone, though police did not issue him a ticket. He was limited early in training camp because of the concussion but has since recovered.
San Francisco opened this season with a game played Friday in Australia.
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