49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Gives Positive Assessment on Nick Sorensen

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was asked his thought on the job defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen has done this season.

Jul 25, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen answers questions at a press conference following Day 3 of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

49ers' defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen is here to stay.

At least, that is what it sounds like after head coach Kyle Shanahan gave a positive assessment of Sorensen at his press conference on Saturday.

"I think Nick has done a good job as a coach," said Shanahan. "No one's happy with our results by any means. I think he's been thrown in a number of situations that I think will make him better going forward. I've watched him adjust to a bunch of different situations, kind of be in a couple situations on a couple games when there wasn't much of an answer, and he still had to try to find one. So, I think this year was good for him. I know he is going to be a good coach and better for it going forward."

Sorensen could be prone to scrutiny given how the 49ers' defense crumbles in the fourth quarter this season. The run defense has also been leaky and the pass rush is nonexistent. However, a lot of the issues aren't directly tied to Sorenense.

It may be the easy thing to do to blame the rookie playcaller, but Sorensen has done a fine job this season. It's nothing to boast about by any means. Still, he hasn't been bad at all given that most of the issues stem from poor execution from the players and an overall lack of talent.

From missed tackles to poor angles taken, these are not Sorensen's faults. He deserves to get another season as the 49ers' defensive coordinator. Hopefully, the execution will be vastly improved in 2025 so that he doesn't have to deal with unfair criticism.

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