After some conflicting reports about whether San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would attend the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, it has now been announced that Shanahan will not be in attendance. This could come back to haunt him.
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Thursday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, March 2. The top draft-eligible players will take part in drills meant to help teams determine what they are capable of.
There are different theories on how effective the combine is at identifying talent. Some think the drills may be fairly pointless and that studying a player's game tape from college is much more valuable in determining their ability as a player. Shanahan seems to subscribe to that view.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reported that Shanahan will not speak at, nor is he expected to attend, the combine. This is not abnormal for Shanahan. He did not attend last year, and as Maiocco notes the 49ers coaching staff has not attended the combine in several years.
However, it is worth wondering if that is wise for Shanahan. A look at the media availability for NFL coaches and general managers of all 32 teams shows that the 49ers are one of only five teams whose head coach will not speak at the combine.
While it is true that game tape is probably the best way to determine a player's potential in the NFL, and Shanahan and his coaches can just watch video of the drills, there is something to be said for seeing a player in person even if it is just him doing drills. Perhaps there are small details or things you can pick up on that could be missed or overlooked on film.
You can also get a better sense of a player's personality. How does he carry himself on the field? How does he respond if he has a rough drill or a bad 40-yard dash? That can tell you more about a player than how he actually performs.
49ers general manager John Lynch will be in attendance at the scouting combine, though. The Hall of Fame safety will certainly be able to pick up on who stands out in person and can relate that back to Shanahan.
But with the team's championship window seemingly closing, every single pick is going to matter. That is why Shanahan should be there in person so he can get every single scrap of information possible on the prospects in this year's NFL Draft.
If the 49ers end up having a good draft, it may not end up mattering all that much. But with how important every pick and every acquisition the team makes will be this offseason as the team tries to get back on track, it would be a bit more reassuring if Shanahan was in attendance.