There are few, if any, sharper offensive minds in football than San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. He's a proven mastermind who can push the right buttons against virtually anyone and any scheme — except the Seattle Seahawks.
Shanahan admitted the Seahawks had his and the Niners' number in the last two of their three meetings of the 2025 campaign. He didn't mince words when brought on as a guest analyst on NBC's pregame coverage of Super Bowl LX. His respect for Seattle's hellacious defense was made crystal clear, though they weren't the only group mentioned; so were the Houston Texans.
Per Shanahan, Seattle and Houston's stop units hit a gear that no one else in the NFL could match this season.
By the sound of it, he'd love the 49ers to join that short list, almost sending a message to San Francisco general manager John Lynch.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan may have dropped a hint that he wants defensive upgrades
The Seahawks and Texans were able to control games because of their ability to make it extremely difficult for opponents to score against them. They each stymied arguably the best play-caller in the league in Shanahan and ostensibly opened his eyes to new recipe for success:
"I think there's two Super Bowl defenses this year, and it was [the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans]," Shanahan stated (h/t Adam Wexler of SportsTalk 790). "And when I say that, it means they're capable of winning totally on their own if the other side of the ball, special teams and offense, don't mess it up."
Doesn't it seem like Shanahan wishes he a trump card like this to alleviate some of the pressure off of his shoulders? Of course, who wouldn't want to be able to shut down their foes practically at will? Yet, he appeared to be envious of what Seattle and Houston have.
It's bad enough that Shanahan and San Francisco had to watch their NFC West rival Seahawks hoist the Lombardi Trophy at Levi's Stadium. But, to make matters worse, Seattle may have exposed the 49ers' weakness along the way.
For what it's worth, the Niners can make life easier for Shanahan with improved health in 2026. They were without several key contributors for extended periods of time this year due to injury. 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and superstar linebacker Fred Warner headline the lengthy list.