Shanahan lauds rival stars Witherspoon, Walker before 49ers-Seahawks

Shanahan lauds rival stars Witherspoon, Walker before 49ers-Seahawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Ahead of the looming Week 11 matchup, coach Kyle Shanahan took time in the latest “49ers Game Plan” episode to admire a pair of Seattle Seahawks stars.

First was Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

“He’s as good as advertised,” Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Greg Papa. “He’s a little different, in terms of guys they’ve had in the past. To me, he’s a little smaller, more [of a] wiry guy, fast. [He] plays in the nickel so well at such a high level; they put him outside the numbers, and he plays equally at as high a level.

“You don’t really know where he’s going to be. They can change him up game to game, they can change him in the game. He’s just as good in the run game as he is in the pass game. He’s a playmaker. He’s going to be a good one for a long time.”

At six feet tall and 185 pounds, Witherspoon is one of the most versatile secondary defenders in the league. The second-year Illinois product has started all nine of Seattle’s games during the 2024 NFL season and has collected 51 tackles, three passes defended, a forced fumble and a quarterback hit.

Shanahan, though, is no stranger to Witherspoon. In the 49ers’ 36-24 win over the Seahawks in Week 6, the cornerback led his team with a 76.7 PFF grade (h/t The Sporting News’ Tim Weaver). Expect Shanahan to get creative with play calls away from Witherspoon on Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium.

The other player Shanahan marveled at was running back Kenneth Walker III.

“I mean, he’s as good as it gets just from a talent perspective,” Shanahan told Papa. They (the Seahawks) don’t run the ball a ton, but he leads the league in missed tackles. He’s a guy that’s hard to touch; if you give him any space, and there’s just one guy there, he’s probably going to make you look silly. We don’t think about stopping the run first with them because they’re so good at the pass game, but just like any team, you got to make them one-dimensional.”

Walker has run for 2,353 and 23 touchdowns on 546 carries throughout his three-year career. During the 2024 season, Walker has collected 398 yards and six touchdowns on 99 carries.

Quarterback Geno Smith and Seattle lead the NFL in passing yards per game with 284.4. Shanahan expects the Seahawks to continue their pass-first approach but made it clear that Walker’s ability to catch passes can open up a whole lot of trouble, especially if he is running the ball well.

“You already know you have your work cut out for you in the pass game, but when you have a talented player like [Walker] in the run game, you have to make sure he doesn’t get going; you have to make him one-dimensional. They are a problem in the pass game, but if he’s doing both, then Geno is going to be a lot more comfortable.”

This season, Walker is averaging a career-high 31 receiving yards per game. He made eight catches for 38 yards against San Francisco in Week 6, while rushing for 32 more and a score.

Shanahan knows the 49ers will have their hands full against Seahawks stars Walker and Witherspoon. But, San Francisco has Seattle’s number and will aim to repeat their past meeting at Lumen Field.

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