Kyle Shanahan has faced mounting criticism from fans as the San Francisco 49ers, now sitting at 5-6, navigate a disappointing 2024 season. Notably, this comes on the heels of a Super Bowl appearance earlier this year, adding to the frustrations.
While injuries have undoubtedly impacted the 49ers' performance, FOX Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho places the blame squarely on Shanahan, accusing the head coach of mismanagement in what he calls the most disappointing season of Shanahan's tenure.
"Kyle Shanahan looks like he's mismanaged the staff, he's mismanaged the roster, and he's mismanaged the offense," Acho asserted during a segment on The Facility.
Mismanaging the 49ers staff
Acho began by criticizing Shanahan's decision to fire defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and replace him with Nick Sorensen.
"You fired Steve Wilks because there was a lack of a personality and personnel fit," Acho said. "Okay, you fire Steve Wilks, but he had the No. 3 defense in football (in points allowed last season). And now, Sorensen has like the 25th-best defense in football."
While Acho's numbers seem off—San Francisco currently ranks 17th in points allowed and fifth in total yards allowed—his point remains: the defense performed better under Wilks' leadership.
"Yesterday, the Niners allowed 38 points in a regular season game, the first time in 37 games since the Kansas City Chiefs did so October 23rd of 2022," Acho added. "So you mismanage the staff."
Mismanaging the 49ers players
Acho also highlighted player-related tensions, including when Shanahan seemingly scolded wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for wearing the wrong-colored shorts to practice.
He highlighted a recent sideline incident where wide receiver Deebo Samuel allowed his frustrations to boil over, resulting in a tense exchange with teammate and long-snapper Taybor Pepper, which was caught on the broadcast.
"Deebo Samuel, he's choking snappers during the game and nothing gets spoken of about it," Acho said. "So you mismanage the staff, you mismanage the roster."
Mismanaging the 49ers offense
As the 49ers' offensive play-caller, Acho believes Shanahan is ultimately responsible for the unit's underwhelming performance this season.
"This offense, this prolific offense, in a world where the Detroit Lions are running up scoreboards, running a ton of trick plays, in a world where offenses are changing protections, in a world where quarterbacks and players are being protected, this offense looks stagnant," Acho commented.
"Kyle Shanahan has mismanaged the staff. That's abundantly clear. I believe he has mismanaged the roster. I believe he's mismanaged the offense. This is the most disappointing season, considering the expectations of the Kyle Shanahan era, and I don't believe it's close."