It's time for 49ers, Kyle Shanahan to start throwing the ball more
· Yahoo Sports
Kyle Shanahan's reliance on the run should be coming to an end. The San Francisco 49ers' horrid 2025 rushing efficiency numbers are one reason why, but Shanahan's career passing efficiency numbers are something he should lean into more, not less.
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Shanahan ranks near the top of the league in adjusted net yards per attempt since 2021, according to Fantasy Points' Ryan Heath. Only former Ravens offensive coordinator and current Browns head coach Todd Monken rates higher on a per-attempt basis. Yet San Francisco averages roughly 33 dropbacks per game, among the fewest of any team in the league. Shanahan is getting the same or better results while asking considerably less of his quarterback — which suggests there's untapped upside if he chose to lean on the pass more.
The 2025 numbers back that up. San Francisco ranked 10th in the NFL in passing attempts (574) and sixth in net passing yards per attempt (6.9). Oddly enough, that's actually a step down in relative efficiency from the previous four seasons: The 49ers ranked 22nd or lower in attempts from 2021 to 2024 but were far more dominant on a per-throw basis, finishing first in net yards per attempt twice and never worse than fourth.
So, even as Shanahan asked his quarterback to throw more in 2025, the offense remained a top-six unit through the air. There's a reasonable case the 49ers could push the passing volume further before efficiency meaningfully suffers.
That case gets stronger when you look at the run game. San Francisco ranked 10th in rushing attempts in 2025 (481) but just 30th in yards per carry (3.8). It's not an isolated blip, either, as the 49ers have ranked top-10 in rushing attempts in four of the past five seasons, but only cracked the top 10 in yards per carry twice in that span. With Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams both entering the back half of their careers, that gap between how often San Francisco runs it and how well it's actually working is worth watching. If the run game continues trending the wrong way, doubling down on volume rushing may not be the answer.
Now, 2025 could be an outlier, given the 49ers' history. Additionally, neglecting the run for the pass goes against the conventional wisdom that's shaped Shanahan's approach for years. But if the 49ers no longer have that level of run game to lean on, there's little reason to keep force-feeding it at the expense of a passing attack that's still performing at an elite level under Brock Purdy.
Purdy has answered the call recently, which bodes well this undertaking. His completion percentage has climbed from 67.1% as a rookie in 2022 to a career-best 69.4%, a mark he's now hit in back-to-back full seasons that also happen to be his most productive by touchdown percentage (7.0% in both 2023 and 2025).
Through nine starts in 2025, Purdy completed 197 of 284 passes for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions — a pace that, if extrapolated over a full season, would represent his best statistical year yet if he didn't get hurt. Across four seasons, he owns a 30-15 record as a starter and has thrown 84 touchdowns to just 37 interceptions. Whatever hesitation Shanahan might have once had about leaning on his quarterback more, the numbers say Purdy has developed into exactly the kind of efficient, low-turnover passer capable of carrying a heavier workload.
Shanahan has the pieces to support a more pass-heavy approach: a quarterback in Purdy who has developed into one of the league's more efficient passers, a running back in McCaffrey who remains one of the league's best receiving weapons out of the backfield, and one of the best collections of receivers between Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle, Jake Tonges, Christian Kirk and 2026 rookie De'Zhaun Stribling.
The passing game clearly works, and the quarterback is no longer a variable to worry about. As the running game shows signs of aging, finding a better middle ground between the two may be the next step for Shanahan's offense.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: It's time for 49ers, Kyle Shanahan to start throwing the ball more