49ers: Kyle Shanahan will win 2021 Coach of The Year if these 3 things happen
By Peter Panacy
![Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/90dc3019ef3a483ad97803a70b9cdcf0441bdaa21a0b9b9123ff67010f6917d9.jpg)
No. 2: Kyle Shanahan should start Trey Lance, help him thrive
In a way, the 49ers are in about as good a position they could be with Trey Lance.
Most teams taking a quarterback in the top five of a draft class have poor rosters, a first-year head coach amid a rebuild or both.
That’s not the Niners’ category with Lance. And with Jimmy Garoppolo still around, Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have to force Lance into a starting role right out of the gate. San Francisco can take the conservative approach, knowing Jimmy G has produced a conference championship-winning season.
But that’s not bold.
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If Shanahan wants to get a Coach of the Year nod, Lance will have to be the starter. And those who may recall what Shanahan helped do with then-rookie Washington Football Team quarterback Robert Griffin III back in 2012 when Griffin reached Offensive Rookie of the Year status, doing so again with a player like Lance would only help to solidify Shanahan’s contention for his own accolade this year.
Especially if Lance is a primary reason why San Francisco checks off the following box on Shanahan’s to-do list.