As 49ers face lowly Commanders, Kyle Shanahan reminded of almost getting fired

The San Francisco 49ers are 5-0 before playing a prime-time game against a one-win opponent.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been here before. It ended awfully.

In 2015, when Shanahan was the Falcons offensive coordinator, Atlanta was 5-0 before visiting the Saints (1-4) in a Thursday night game. The Falcons lost. And kept losing. They finished 8-8, missed the playoffs and Shanahan was convinced he would be sent packing after one season.

“I was getting fired,” Shanahan said. “… I think there was pressure on (then Falcons head coach) Dan (Quinn) to let me go and I’m very glad that he stuck with me.”

More than a decade later, those scars help explain Shanahan’s perspective in the midst of the 49ers’ scorching start before meeting the struggling Commanders (1-3-1) on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium.

The 49ers have become the first team in NFL history to start 5-0 while beating three teams (Rams, Broncos, Seahawks) that won at 12 games the previous season. They own the league’s best point differential (plus-61), have a 2½-game lead over second-place Seattle in the NFC West and have entered the best-team-in-the-league conversation.

Such chatter reminds Shanahan of talk he heard from the Falcons in 2015. In October, they were already discussing January.  

“I remember hearing a player one day talk about how important Week 7 was because he didn’t want to go to cold weather in the playoffs, which means you’re thinking homefield advantage,” Shanahan said. “… You hear things like that and then you don’t even make the playoffs.”

Shanahan’s history is why he leans particularly hard into the stay-in-the-moment mantra preached by countless coaches. Not that many of Shanahan’s veteran leaders need to be told about the 2015 Falcons. The 2023 49ers started 5-0 before going on a three-game losing streak in a season that ended in a Super Bowl loss.

Left tackle Trent Williams, 38, knows a surprise stumble against the Commanders likely means the 49ers will be replaced as the league’s early season darlings. Williams noted the sky is suddenly falling in Seattle after the two losses in a five-day span dropped the Seahawks to 3-3.

“The tide can turn in just a week,” Williams said. “You look at all the scrutiny the Seahawks are under and they’re the defending Super Bowl champs.”
 
Buddy talk: As Shanahan mentioned, Quinn fought for him to keep his job in 2015.

Eleven years later, Quinn, the Commanders head coach, is on the hot seat after Washington’s horrendous clock management at the end of its 27-27 tie against the Giants last week. Instead of attempting a game-winning, 42-yard field goal, the Commanders ran another play with no timeouts left, QB Jayden Daniels was tackled for no gain with eight seconds remaining and the clock ran out.

Quinn said the play was supposed to be a throw to the sideline to tight end Ben Sinnott. He acknowledged it was an unnecessary risk.

“We don’t need to gain more yards,” he said.

Shanahan spoke fondly about his embattled friend. As a coordinator under Quinn, Shanahan said he often became frustrated when Quinn cut into his offensive meeting time by talking to the team about the importance of defenders attacking the ball, intensity or brotherhood.

“We’re just doing random things that don’t have much to do with Xs and Os,” Shanahan said. “And (I remember) how frustrated I’d be at first, like, ‘Holy crap, I’m running out of time. I have a lot of important stuff to cover.’ Really stressed out.”

As a head coach, however, Shanahan has adopted much of what exasperated him when he began working for Quinn.

“That’s something that I’ve really learned from him,” Shanahan said. “The more you talk about it, the more you show it, the more you can get your guys to play to a certain style. He made me a much better coach that way.”

History for Purdy: Since becoming Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick in the 2022 draft, quarterback Brock Purdy has collected some cool accolades in his NFL career. He finished top-five in MVP voting in 2023. Made the Pro Bowl. Broke the 49ers’ single-season passing yards record.

Entering Week 6 of Year 5, there’s another stat Purdy is about to conquer, and it’s a big one: He’s five passes away from qualifying for, and topping, the NFL’s all-time passer rating list.

What does that number mean to Purdy? How does he interpret it as a quarterback?

“To be honest, I don’t really know,” he said. “I guess it’s a good thing?”

Purdy then went on to explain that, since he is efficient with the football, throws a lot of touchdown passes, limits turnovers and “things like that,” his rating, “of course, is going to be good.” 

“At the same time,” he continued, “I’m not getting done with games and going: ‘All right, was my rating at least 100-something?’ I could really care less about that. It’s more so, did I do my job well for my teammates? Did I compete and do everything I could to help this team win? I know it sounds cheesy, but that’s the reality. That’s what I’m thinking about and it’s what matters.”

Clearly, Purdy is itching to break this record. Expect him to pop a bottle of Champagne or two Monday night in the 49ers’ locker room.

His head coach struck a similar note Friday. In classic Shanahan fashion, he said passer rating is “a little bit overrated,” then proceeded to praise Purdy for not caring about the stat. 

Shanahan said he has seen some quarterbacks take sacks instead of throwing the ball away, or avoid throwing late-game Hail Marys to protect their passer rating. But never Purdy.

“I think it shows how consistent Brock is,” Shanahan said.

McCaffreys unite: A cool moment is on tap for running back Christian McCaffrey and his brother, Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey. They will share a football field for the first time Monday.

Christian, 30, has played with or against his other two brothers at some point. But never the 25-year-old Luke.

“I think this completes the cycle,” McCaffrey said Thursday. “I know it’s different uniforms, but proud of him and everything he’s done. Excited to see him.”

Of course, McCaffrey was raised in an athletic family. His father, Ed, spent 13 seasons in the NFL, including one as part of the 49ers’ Super Bowl XXXII team in 1994. His mother, Lisa, played soccer, tennis and track at Stanford. His grandfather, Dave Sime, was an Olympic silver-medalist sprinter.

After attending Nebraska and Rice, Luke met with San Francisco during the 2024 pre-draft process. But Shanahan and general manager John Lynch opted for another receiver, Ricky Pearsall, in the first round, then took cornerback Renardo Green and guard Dominick Puni before Washington selected McCaffrey at pick No. 100.

Luke has struggled to break through with the Commanders. He recorded 29 receptions for 371 yards over his first two seasons. He has only been active for two games thus far in 2026, primarily playing special teams.

Even so, the McCaffrey parents have a predicament for Monday night’s game: How are they going to handle attire? Split their fandom? Pick one side?

“I don’t know what they’re gonna do,” Christian said. “They might just go all black, neutral.”

Subscribe

There’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.

This article originally published at As 49ers face lowly Commanders, Kyle Shanahan reminded of almost getting fired.