Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch signed six-year contracts upon joining the San Francisco 49ers. It was proof that the plan to rebuild the once-proud franchise, which had fallen into disarray, was a long-term one and not something that would happen overnight.
Still, NFL fans are an impatient bunch, especially when the Niner Faithful see division-rival teams like the Los Angeles Rams turn things around in one offseason or the Seattle Seahawks, who tore apart their defense, in the hunt for a wildcard spot.
Shanahan understands that watching the 49ers lose can be frustrating but continues to preach patience to fans. He joined KNBR on Friday morning to discuss the nine-game losing streak against the Seahawks, the 49ers' opponent on Sunday.
"Any time you haven't beaten a team since 2013, that is a big deal," Shanahan said on the "Murph & Mac" show. "Everyone knows the run that they went on, and the Niners were going on a run at a very similar time. I think Seattle, they won most of those. Obviously, I wasn't there for those, but Seattle ended up going to those two Super Bowls and were very close to a dynasty with that defense they had and everything.
"I think they kept their guys around a little bit longer as the Niners started to rebuild more. So there got a pretty big difference there for a few years. They're not quite the same as they were a few years ago but the Niners aren't either.
"We're trying to get back there and get better. I wish it could happen faster but it does take a lot of work, and we're on our way to doing that. Hopefully, we can end this streak this weekend, but that's something that's not just with Seattle. It's everyone in our division.
"We've been down here for a few years. We've been down the two years I've been here. We've been down the three years before we got here. It's not just snap your fingers and let's fix this. You've got to go through a lot of work to do it. It hasn't been easy. It's going to be tougher. We've got a lot of guys who aren't giving up. They're not quitting. They're getting some very good experience right now.
"Hopefully, we can get healthier at the end of this year. We're going to add definitely a few more players in free agency and the draft, and we're going to keep battling these guys. I promise you, we're going to get better. We're not going to get worse. But hopefully, we can get that monkey off our back this week."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.
