In June, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk created a stink over some offseason comments by Kyle Shanahan. The San Francisco 49ers head coach commented during the team's State of the Franchise event about his desire to get back to that fourth quarter in the Super Bowl and finish the job.

Florio felt the comments dismissed the work it takes to get to that point and set unrealistic expectations. Except, Shanahan did note that he was well aware that the journey would not be easy, and that this season will be harder than ever.


"That's why all of our guys have got to take this challenge, and we've got to take advantage of this offseason," Shanahan said in June. "We've got to still find a way to take a step ahead of other people because everyone's chasing us right now, and it hasn't been that way."

Shanahan finally had an opportunity to address Florio's criticisms as a guest on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast. Simms, an analyst for NBC Sports and a co-host with Florio on Pro Football Talk Live, is a close friend of Shanahan's.

The 49ers coach was Simms' first podcast guest on episode one and returned for the most recent episode No. 168.

"That's why it's taken you 167 podcasts to get me back on because I know Florio is going to find something on here," Shanahan half-joked with Simms. "And he's going to be like, 'Oh, Kyle is only worried about this.' Whatever. I don't get mad at anyone because you guys need content.

"But that's just why it's hard to talk. Man, we were a couple of plays short of the Super Bowl (win). What do people expect our expectations to be? That's what it is.


"No, I don't want to say that because someone like Florio might make a headline that makes me look like a d---chebag for [saying] something like that."

Shanahan paused to make sure it was okay to use that type of language on Simms' podcast before once again making it clear that he knows there are games to play before anyone can start thinking about the playoffs, much less the Super Bowl.

"Hell yeah, we feel like that," Shanahan continued. "But if we just think like that, and think we're just going to show up, we won't get to the playoffs. This league is too hard. No one has an easy way.

"The hardest years of my life, coaching, I feel have been the two years I've gone to a Super Bowl because you know you have a good team, and how much harder it gets each week the way teams are playing you. And how intense it is because you don't want to mess that up.

"This year will be so much harder. We can have a better team, and still not do what we did last year. And no one's more aware of that than myself. I've been around this sport way too long. But every time I answer a question, I'm not going to cover all that."


Shanahan went on to share that he always preaches to his players that if things start to feel easy, you are already on your way out. Everything in the NFL is earned, and nothing is given.



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