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Kyle Shanahan Reveals What Sparked 49ers' Significant Special Teams Turnaround

Kyle Shanahan reveals what sparked 49ers' significant special teams turnaround originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers’ special teams used to be a weakness, but coach Kyle Shanahan credits San Francisco’s kick returners for injecting new life into the unit during the 2025 NFL season.

Among all NFL teams, the 49ers rank No. 5 in kickoff return average (28.3 yards) and have the second-most returns of 40 or more yards with four. After Skyy Moore’s 98-yard kickoff return in Week 11, San Francisco also owns the second-longest return of the year and leads the league in best field position after the kickoff.

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— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 16, 2025

All of this is a result of the group’s tenacity, Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on the latest edition of “49ers Game Plan.”

“I think both of our returners are doing very well. I mean, they’re hitting it hard,” Shanahan told Maiocco of Moore and Brian Robinson Jr. “They don’t mess around. They’re both aggressive, even when it’s not a good look. They lower their pads and they go forward, which usually makes us pretty consistent. And they busted a few. They busted a few long ones.”

Robinson currently ranks No. 7 in the NFL with an average kick return of 33.4 yards, firing off a couple of 40-plus-yard returns this season, while Moore sits at No. 21 with 28.5 yards per return. As backup to star running back Christian McCaffrey, Robinson has taken advantage of every opportunity the 49ers have given him — whether that’s in the backfield or on special teams.

“I think we’ve gotten better and better throughout the year, just the continuity of our group, just being coached, working in practice,” Shanahan told Maiocco. “I think it’s been important to the guys. They’ve taken some ownership in it too, which has been cool, and having some success here over the last month and a half. I think it’s given them a lot of confidence and only made them get better.”

Field position is a key factor to winning games, and the 49ers’ special-teams unit has given them a fantastic advantage week-in and week-out. With Brock Purdy back under center and the offense finally healthy, San Francisco certainly is set up for success if the kick-return trend continues.

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Kyle Shanahan Reveals What Sparked 49ers' Significant Special Teams Turnaround

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