The San Francisco 49ers are unlikely to improve their playoff seeding much over the final three games of the season, but that does not mean Kyle Shanahan has any plans to rest his starters down the stretch.
The Niners are 10-4 entering Week 16 and the No. 3 seed in the NFC. They are highly unlikely to catch the Philadelphia Eagles for the top seed, as Nick Sirianni’s team needs to win just one of their final three games to secure that spot. San Francisco could catch the 11-3 Minnesota Vikings for the No. 2 spot. Other than that, they don’t have a whole lot to play for.
Shanahan was asked on Tuesday if he will consider holding key players out since the Niners are likely locked into the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. He said he thinks resting healthy players ahead of the postseason is a bad strategy.
“I think that’s one of the biggest mistakes people make just watching it over the years. That’s my opinion,” Shanahan said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I would understand if you were getting ready for a seven-game series, I don’t think football is like that. It’s three and a half hours. It’s one shot. I’ve been on a lot of teams where you rest guys and or give guys a few more weeks and those are usually the guys who struggle the most in that first playoff game.”
The Niners have dealt with a rash of injuries this season. Shanahan said making sure players are healthy for the playoffs is the top priority and noted that those who are fighting through ailments “would definitely rest.”
There is certainly something to be said for staying sharp. Teams that earn a first-round playoff bye often come out extremely rusty in their first postseason game. The same concept can apply to players who sit out so-called meaningless games.
We know one NFC star who could be shut down until the playoffs, but that is mostly due to injury. We should not expect to see many reserve players for the 49ers in the coming weeks.
