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49ers HC Kyle Shanahan is a Big Fan of Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams

When it comes to quarterbacks, Kyle Shanahan is extremely picky.

Grant Cohn

Nov 28, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws passes during pregame warmups before their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Nov 28, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws passes during pregame warmups before their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
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SANTA CLARA -- When it comes to quarterbacks, Kyle Shanahan is extremely picky.

He often isn't wild about young quarterbacks who have lots of hype. And when he thinks a quarterback is overrated, he usually can't hide it.

This week, Shanahan and the 49ers will face the no. 1 pick from this year's draft, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. I asked Shanahan what he thinks of the high-profile rookie. Here's what Shanahan said:

"He's as talented as there is. The stuff that you saw (him do) in college, you can see it in the NFL. He's as good of a thrower as there is. Born to play the position. Has the athletic ability to do whatever. Has the speed to do whatever. He has gotten a lot of playing time. He's getting better as this year goes. I think he's getting a lot more consistent. I think he's playing his best ball probably here the past few weeks. He has put them in a chance to win here these past few games."

It sounds like Shanahan genuinely thinks the world of the Bears' rookie quarterback. It almost sounds like Shanahan would like to coach him.

Earlier this week, Mike Florio of NBC's Pro Football Talk said that the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan both need a fresh start, and that they should trade him to the Chicago Bears. Maybe this idea is farfetched, but I like it. And it sounds like part of Shanahan might like it, too.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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