Why Peyton Manning would love to play for 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan

If Peyton Manning could do free agency all over again, he’d do it with the 49ers so he could play under Kyle Shanahan.

That’s what Manning told Kevin Clark on “This is Football” for Omaha Productions (which produces the ManningCast on ESPN).

“I’m probably heading out to San Francisco to play for Kyle Shanahan,” Manning said.

Manning said the last time he was a free agent in 2012, he met with Shanahan when he was offensive coordinator for Washington when his father Mike was the head coach. He ended up signing with the Denver Broncos.

“I remember sitting down with Kyle, we watched film for two hours and I was extremely impressed,” Manning said. “It’s been no surprise to me the success he’s had, not only as a coordinator in Atlanta and now as a head coach. I think he’s innovative, he grinds, he works at it. It starts with their run game, but the stuff they do off their run game is unique.”

I asked Peyton Manning: If he could play for a modern NFL coach, who would it be?
“I’m probably headed out to San Francisco.” Peyton watched *two hours* of film with Kyle Shanahan in 2012 during his free agency. This breakdown is so good. THIS IS FOOTBALL is elite today. pic.twitter.com/U39xc0vWx8

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) January 9, 2024

When Mike Shanahan was coach of the Denver Broncos, his zone-scheme run game was blended with the passing game in such a way defenders couldn’t tell whether a given play was run or pass because the blocking choreography was identical.

“They’re challenging guys up front,” Manning said. “They’re scheming run plays like a lot of coaches scheme pass plays. They are spending time and analyzing over and over, how can we do this a little better? Obviously, when you’ve got a guy like Christian McCaffrey, it sure does help.

“The shifts and the motions, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense. It keeps them from being totally comfortable and then I think a lot of their play-action stuff is off the exact plays that they’re running the ball out of the same look.”

Kyle Shanahan also takes the common-sense approach of putting quarterback Brock Purdy and his players in positions where they do what they do best.

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“If Brock doesn’t do this particular thing well, let’s not make him do it,” Manning said. “Let’s find the things he does, it’s very collaborative out there and obviously they’re the No. 1 seed in the NFC.”

Purdy, Manning believes, is enjoying coming to work every day to see what Shanahan comes up with next.

“You can just tell Brock Purdy is mentally stimulated every single Sunday,” Manning said. “You want to come to work every single day and say, ‘Wow, what’s going to be in the offense today? . . . Deebo (Samuel) is going to be wide open on this play.’ I can tell Kyle’s calling plays where he’s telling Purdy, ‘Hey, just trust me, Kittle is going to be wide open on this play.’ That’s a fun offense to play in.”