"February and March, I wasn't in the best state," Shanahan told Chris Simms on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast of the Super Bowl LIV loss. "I mean, no one died. I still have my health, I still have my family, but man, does it hurt when you know how close you were to something and how big of a deal that is, and how easily you could have done it."
Shanahan believes the defeat will only make him better. It drives him to want to get over that hump finally.
"Holy s--t, I want to get back there and get that done," he added. "And that's why I never let it go. I'll never let it go. But I can deal with it, I can live with it, and I can go do it again. I'm not scared to lose. I'll go do it again and give everything I have."
Shanahan has been meeting with his players virtually this offseason. He hasn't had an opportunity to meet with them face-to-face and go over February's heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat. Film from the game has come up during the virtual meetings, but nothing extensive. The coach is eager to go over it in greater detail and show his team how close it was to winning a championship.
"That was my plan in OTAs when I could get everyone together, to do something like that," Shanahan said. "I'm going to do something similar to that here when we get everyone back ... It is a new year, but you want to address it because you don't want guys to run from it at all. And you want them hungry over it, and see like, 'Guys, it's not rocket science. This is why we lost. This is why we could have won. It's these plays, alright?' There's never one play. There's a bunch. But it adds up.
"However you want the mood to be, you can dictate that. Guys will be like, 'Oh my God, we can easily do this again.' Or you can just crush guys and make them feel horrible. I don't want to do that. I want guys to see how easily we could have done it, and also remember how hard it was to get there because that's also what people don't realize."
Shanahan understands he still has a good team, capable of making another championship run. He knows his players have been working hard individually this offseason.
The problem is that the 49ers haven't had the opportunity to work as a team this offseason.
"So when our players get here, yeah, I'm going to show them some of the Super Bowl," Shanahan shared. "They know we have one goal — to get there. But they have to know we haven't done s--t yet, and we have to put in the work as a team."
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Kendrick Bourne doesn't hold back on 49ers' Super Bowl chances
Kendrick Bourne isn't shy about the San Francisco 49ers' championship outlook. Appearing on the Speakeasy podcast with Emmanuel Acho and LeSean McCoy, the veteran wide receiver praised the team's mindset and highlighted why he believes this year's 49ers are built to finish the... -
49ers vs. Bears: George Kittle won't practice Wednesday, Ricky Pearsall returns
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is dealing with an ankle injury he suffered during Monday night's win over the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Kittle will not practice on Wednesday as the team begins preparations for Sunday night's Week... -
49ers' Kyle Shanahan reveals expectations for Brock Purdy in Week 18 showdown vs. Seahawks
The San Francisco 49ers have a lot at stake in Saturday night's regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. The winner will claim the NFC West title and secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, which includes home-field advantage throughout the... -
49ers' Kyle Shanahan surges in Coach of the Year race after late-season success
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan continues to draw praise after Sunday night's win over the Chicago Bears, a victory that set up a high-stakes Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. On the line: the NFC West title, the NFC's No. 1 seed, and home-field...