San Francisco 49ers · Franchise era 7 of 7
The Shanahan machine: the San Francisco 49ers story
Franchise era
2015—present
The Shanahan machine
San Francisco 49ers
The story in one sentence
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch rebuilt through the lines, then used motion and versatile playmakers to reach multiple Super Bowls with changing quarterbacks.
Positionless skill talent powers repeated deep runs
Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Nick Bosa gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2015
What came before
Jim Harbaugh immediately unlocked a loaded roster, reaching Super Bowl XLVII and three straight conference championship games.
2020-02-02
Super Bowl: San Francisco 49ers vs Kansas City Chiefs
2024-01-28
Conference Championship: Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49ers
2024-02-11
Super Bowl: San Francisco 49ers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core