There'll be no shortage of sentiment when the San Francisco 49ers host the Denver Broncos in Week 4, particularly given the multiple connections between the two teams.
Yet there's an even more important fact to the showdown at Levi's Stadium, one that's been 10 years in the making.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan will coach his 153rd regular-season game with the Niners—a lengthy stretch that dates back to 2017 when he took over said duties.
In doing so, Shanahan surpasses legendary Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh for the most such games coached in franchise history, whom Shanahan tied during San Francisco's Week 3 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Related story: 5 best head coaches in San Francisco 49ers history
Ironically, the Denver matchup carries some sentiment, too, considering Kyle's father, Mike Shanahan, won two Super Bowls there as head coach, and the younger Shanahan certainly drew plenty of his own experience from tagging along.
But, at least for Kyle, surpassing the greatest coach in 49ers history is quite the accolade.
Yet there's a far more important element at play here that shouldn't go unnoticed, and it's one that has certainly benefited the Niners since 2017.
49ers have maintained much-needed stability with Kyle Shanahan
It's funny Shanahan is still viewed as a "young" coach, even though he's 46 years old. And it might be funnier how he, along with the Kansas City Chiefs' Andy Reid and the Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay, is one of the NFL's three longest-tenured head coaches, currently.
As far as San Francisco goes, Shanahan's presence for 10 years speaks to the franchise finding stability after so many years of churning through coaches.
- Kyle Shanahan (2017-current): 153 games
- Bill Walsh (1979-1988): 152 games
- George Seifert (1989-1996): 128 games
- Buck Shaw (1946-1954): 114 games
- Dick Nolan (1968-1975): 112 games
Other noteworthy 49ers head coaches, including Jim Harbaugh and Steve Mariucci, didn't even crack the top five in most games coached for the franchise. And fans are still pressed to forget the forgettable years in the mid-2000s and in the two years between Harbaugh and Shanahan.
Additionally, with no shortage of other teams growing increasingly impatient with head coaches, the fact the Niners have stuck by Shanahan for a decade speaks measures.
And, for the most part, he's delivered, turning San Francisco into a perennial Super Bowl contender.
Hopefully, with this milestone under his belt, Shanahan will be fully ready to soon achieve the one elusive accolade that's evaded him to date: a Lombardi Trophy.
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