On February 6, 2017, Kyle Shanahan was named the San Francisco 49ers’ 20th head coach. On June 15, 2020, Shanahan agreed to a multi-year contract deal with the 49ers. After winning the NFC West and going 13-4 during the regular season, Shanahan and the 2022 49ers emerged victorious in their last ten games.
WR Brandon Aiyuk and RB Christian McCaffrey, who was acquired in a mid-season trade, spearheaded the offense in 2022. Aiyuk achieved his first career 1,000-yard season with 1,015 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. When McCaffrey joined the squad in Week 7, he amassed 1,210 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns. Throughout the season, San Francisco had three starting quarterbacks; in Week 13, rookie Brock Purdy took over as the team’s starter. The 49ers offense continued to be prolific, as they averaged 5.9 yards per play, which was the fourth-highest in the NFL, and finished fifth in the NFL in yards per game (365.6). Purdy became the first quarterback in franchise history to win their first championship after being 7-1 as a starter, including the playoffs.
Shanahan guided the 49ers to their second NFC Championship appearance in three seasons in 2021 (2019). WR Deebo Samuel, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl in his career and was named to the Associated Press First Team All-Pro, was a key member of the offense. Samuel set career highs in carries (59), running yards (365), and rushing touchdowns (eight) in 16 games (15 starts). He also registered 77 receptions for 1,405 receiving yards (18.2 average) and five receiving touchdowns. Since the merger, he has the most rushing touchdowns (8) of any player whose primary position is wide receiver. Brandon Aiyuk, a wide receiver in his second year, collected 56 receptions for 826 yards and five touchdowns. Elijah Mitchell, a rookie running back, broke the franchise record for most rushing yards by a rookie on the ground.
Three of the five players on the 2021 49ers offensive line—Trent Williams, Glaken Tomlinson, and C Alex Mack—were selected to the Pro Bowl. For the first time in his career, Williams was chosen for the Associated Press 2021 First-Team All-Pro roster. With an average of 127.4 rushing yards at the end of the season, San Francisco’s offense ranked eighth in the NFL. TE With 71 receptions for 910 yards and six touchdowns, George Kittle tied for second place on the team and qualified for the Pro Bowl.