Leading the San Francisco 49ers to the NFL's best record at 6-0, Kyle Shanahan has made a strong case as one of the league's top head coaches. His offensive schemes are also widely mimicked by other coaches and playcallers.
Shanahan has an impressive 88-67 regular-season record, a 56.8% winning percentage, and a 9-5 playoff record.
However, despite leading the 49ers to two Super Bowl appearances, Shanahan has yet to win a championship. And according to one former Pro Bowler, he never will.
Before becoming the 49ers' head coach, Shanahan coordinated the Atlanta Falcons' offense, including during their 2016 Super Bowl run, which ended in a loss to the New England Patriots.
Roddy White played under Shanahan in Atlanta in 2015. Now, the four-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro is making a bold prediction about his former offensive coordinator, saying he will never win a Super Bowl.
During an appearance on the "Up and Adams Show," host Kay Adams directly asked White, "Do you think Kyle (Shanahan) will win a Super Bowl?"
After a long pause, White gave his honest take, even as Adams reminded him that the 49ers were undefeated and Shanahan had already reached the Super Bowl.
"No," White said . "They start like this every year. That team starts very fast every year. The only time they haven't started fast is when they had everybody hurt. And this year, they're still managing to get people hurt, but they're off to a good start."
The 49ers have not always started quickly under Shanahan; they were 1-5 through six games in 2018 and 2-4 at the same point in 2021.
"I think, me personally, that he's a great offensive mind. But in tough situations, in pressure situations, the over-aggressive play calls always give you trouble, and I think that's just his mentality."
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White then pointed to Shanahan's biggest flaw as a play-caller: his struggles with situational football.
"He doesn't play situational football well," White explained. "That's the only thing that I think is really like a knock on his game… That's what gets his team in trouble when you play against great quarterbacks."
"When you make it to the Super Bowl, you're gonna be playing against a great quarterback. Your ability to understand the flow of the game, it's going to help you win those games."
While Shanahan can't control which opponent he faces or which quarterback lines up against him, he can control his play-calling. White believes the 49ers coach needs to rethink his approach, particularly in high-pressure situations.
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"I think especially if you have to play Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. That guy has learned from Tom Brady. Just playing him, each and every year, playing him in the Super Bowls, he knows what it takes," White continued.
"Mahomes can read what's going on. He knows how to handle those situations, and he always comes out as a winner because he doesn't give himself an opportunity to lose the game. And I think that Kyle always thinks about, 'I have to win the game,' instead of putting his players in the best position to win the game."
The 49ers are ranked third in PFN's Offense Impact Score with an 82.4 grade, with quarterback Brock Purdy ranking first in PFN's QB Impact Score with a 90.8 grade through six weeks.
That's a pretty harsh take from White on his former offensive coordinator. Still, the issues he pointed out are ones Shanahan could work on if they are really getting in the way of his Super Bowl dreams.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
