"That’s what coaching poverty looks like" - NFL fans react to 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan's change of appearance in viral photo

Being an NFL coach is a stressful experience, as those tasked with it are expected to be fully responsible for the fortunes of a multi-billion dollar franchise. The task can get physically and mentally overwhelming, especially for coaches in charge of teams touted to venture deep into the playoffs every season.

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has been in that intense situation for eight years. The mastermind behind the electrifying Atlanta Falcons offense that guided them to the Super Bowl in 2017 moved to the Bay Area to follow in his father's footsteps and become a young coach tasked with leading a franchise.

Eight years on, and a photo of Shanahan is making the rounds, with many saying the stress has aged him. A collage of his picture from his unveiling as the 49ers coach in 2017 and one clicked at the NFL's annual league meeting in Florida had fans talking.

Fans on social media either poked fun at Shanahan and the 49ers or expressed concern about the coach's well-being.

"That Super Bowl stress is real. I went gray coding for less time than that." - Said @slopdesign

"Looks like he was the president for 8 years." - Quipped @jcfarmer29

"His ears wrinkled and shrunk as well. Damn chronic stress can be brutal" - Remarked @LordPatty2

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Kyle Shanahan outlines expectations for the 2025 season

After suffering a gut-wrenching overtime loss in Super Bowl 58 to the Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers were expected to bounce back immediately and embark on another deep run in the playoffs in 2024. However, they limped to a 6-11 record and missed the playoffs.

In the offseason, they parted ways with several starters and are seemingly entering a rebuild mode, officially closing their championship window. However, Shanahan isn't focused on how the season will pan out and is focusing on ensuring the team has a splendid offseason.

During a conversation with reporters at the NFL's annual league meeting, he said:

"This year, we had a bad year. We didn't do good. We didn't make the playoffs. So all we're talking about is how do we get back to playing good football... I don't think about, necessarily, the season's expectations. I think about how good we can get in the draft, how many people we can add in that. Then you try to build it throughout phase one, phase two, phase three."

The coach seems determined to take on the challenge of rebuilding the roster and getting the 49ers back to the top of the NFC.