San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan — for all of his flaws — still appears miles better than most head coaches in the NFL. 

And Pro Football Focus appears to agree. 

Recently, Pro Football Focus ranked all the head coaches in the NFL, and Shanahan, for all the talk that he can't win the biggest football games of the year, came in ranked No. 4 on the list. It is a ranking that feels fair, given how close the San Francisco 49ers have gotten to winning a Super Bowl, yet, the team still hasn't gotten over the hump. 

Take a look at Trevor Sikkema's analysis of Shanahan: 

All right, now that that's out of the way, the truth of the matter is Shanahan has been one of the best offensive minds in the league for more than half a decade — and continues to be. Since 2019, the Niners have the second-highest cumulative offensive grade (91.9), behind only the Kansas City Chiefs. They also rank seventh in the league in EPA per play over that span. The reason for Shanahan being this high on the list comes down to how easy he makes offense look in the NFL. Nothing demonstrates that more than what he was able to do with Brock Purdy last season, succeeding at a playoff-caliber level with a rookie QB3. Yes, the Niners have great pieces, but Shanahan is the offensive chef that turns good ingredients into the perfect meal. It is also worth noting how vast and successful his coaching tree is becoming. Robert Saleh, Mike McDaniel, DeMeco Ryans and Mike LaFleur all rose to be top candidates for promotion under Shanahan in San Francisco.

Questions still linger about whether Shanahan is a championship-level head coach. He has one career Super Bowl appearance with one loss. But what has carried Shanahan is his reputation.

Much of the Niners' shortcomings have come because of injury. The 2022 NFL season exemplifies that — deeply. 

But still, a No. 4 ranking feels right for Shanahan. The coaches ranked ahead of Shanahan were Andy Reid (No. 1), Bill Belichick (No. 2), and Mike Tomlin (No. 3). All of which are Super Bowl champions. 

It's clear that the only thing holding Shanahan back is his ability to win the most important game of the year. 

If Shanahan wants to climb the rankings of the best coaches in the NFL, he must find a way to win. The Niners' window won't stay open forever. And if Shanahan is going to go down as one of the best coaches ever, not just a talent, winning is his only solution. 

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan indicates Brock Purdy could return by training camp

Barring any setbacks, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy may be able to return for training camp.

Feature image via Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports.