Niner Nate-tion Podcast: Why the 49ers are a destination franchise

Under Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers have lost 35 games in four years. Three of his four seasons have resulted in at least ten losses. So why, after all that losing, did Kyle Juszczyk get emotional when he asked about possibly not coming back in 2021? Simple. Culture, culture, culture.

As Niner Nate Nelson and Leo Luna pointed out in today’s Niner Nate-tion Podcast, the 49ers have built an organization that players want to be a part of.

“As a 49ers fan that’s something that you should look at and feel great about,” Luna said, “It’s not what Carlos Hyde said about the 49ers during their down years that it was just terrible. When you have a Pro Bowl player like Kyle Juszczyk being so emotional about not being a part of this team, it’s because he knows what they have.”

It’s a fair point, and something that doesn’t just apply to players. As the stories of possible departures by 49ers coaches mount, we should keep in mind that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have turned this team into a destination franchise. Up-and-coming coaches are going to want to work under the best offensive coach in the league, and free agents are going to want to play on a roster that’s still loaded with talent.

(Be sure to check out the full Niner-Nation Podcast in the player below)

Other topics covered in today’s episode:

• The best and worst of the 2020 season
• Why Justin Fields may be Kyle Shanahan’s preferred quarterback in this draft class
• Bold predictions for the 2021 offseason