Kyle Shanahan’s epic rooftop football throw into a pizza oven goes viral again

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan may be heading into a crucial training camp, but fans are once again buzzing about a throw made far from any football field. A video clip from 2021 resurfaced this week, showing Shanahan casually launching a football into a pizza oven at a rooftop party—sparking fresh buzz across social media. The perfectly placed throw, captured during the offseason, continues to impress fans and players with its unreal precision.

A holiday throw that’s still earning praise

The viral video features Shanahan standing beside former 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley, a longtime team veteran, during an Independence Day celebration. While most coaches unwind with barbecue or fireworks, Shanahan took aim at a new target: a backyard pizza oven. The moment has now become an unexpected fan-favorite—part athletic feat, part party trick. As the clip recirculated this week, it reminded fans of the coach’s surprising accuracy off the field.

In a press conference held later that summer, Shanahan gave reporters the full story behind the throw. “Well, since you asked, I'll describe it all. We were just messing around. It was the Fourth of July, and we were up there. We were on my buddy's rooftop, and we had a football, and I just felt like I could throw at the time.”

“I was asking everyone where they wanted me to throw it, and they said, 'That pizza oven right over there.' And I go, 'I'm going to hit this. Film this.' And they go, 'Yeah, right.' But I hit it somehow. My best athletic moment of my life."

A coach's unexpected precision beyond the playbook spotlight

For Shanahan, the offseason moment may have been pure fun, but fans see it as another testament to his cool under pressure—and surprising arm strength. Though he's known for his sharp play-calling and offensive mind, this off-script highlight reel is earning him points for precision beyond the Xs and Os.

Also read: “Adults allowed it”: Cam Newton blasts Geno Smith over viral OT7 jersey stomp incident

As training camp nears, Shanahan is shifting his focus to getting the 49ers back to the Super Bowl. But for one fleeting rooftop moment, he proved he can still deliver a perfect spiral—right into a pizza oven. Turns out, even coaches have viral highlight reels.




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