NFL rumors: Kyle Shanahan, 49ers agreed to new contract before draft

Share

The 49ers made sure Monday that Kyle Shanahan will be their head coach for a long, long time. Shanahan signed a new contract extension, keeping him in Santa Clara through the 2025 season. 

In reality, though, it appears the two sides had a plan in place well before this week. 

The Athletic's Matt Barrows reported Monday that Shanahan and CEO Jed York agreed to the contract extension months ago before April's NFL draft. 

Shanahan still had three years left on his original six-year contract he signed with the 49ers before the 2017 season. The extension essentially adds another three years to what was remaining on the deal. 

It's clear San Francisco felt it needed to make this happen sooner than later. A league source told Barrows that Cincinnati's Zac Taylor, who led the Bengals to a 2-14 season in his first year last season, was scheduled to make more money than Shanahan this upcoming season. Terms of Shanahan's extension haven't been announced, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Shanahan now will be one of the five highest-paid coaches in the NFL. 

[RELATED: 49ers turn focus to Lynch after giving Shanahan new deal]

Shanahan, 40, won just 10 games in his first two seasons as San Francisco's head coach. With a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo and an improved roster, the 49ers went all the way to the Super Bowl last season. Shanahan led the 49ers to their first NFC West title since 2012 after a 13-3 regular season.

The 49ers now are seen as one of football's elite teams, and they have an elite coach under contract for years to come.

[49ERS INSIDER PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]

Contact Us