49ers' Javon Hargrave keeps accidentally making Eagles' Nick Sirianni look like an inferior coach

San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave enters the field against the Cincinnati Bengals during an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. It sure seems like every time Javon Hargrave compliments 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, catches some strays. First, there was when Hargrave shared earlier this week that San Francisco’s practices are .

Then, on Thursday, to reporters how good of a teacher Shanahan is and shared a choice anecdote from Hargrave in the process. “I remember just talking to Hargrave, he’s like, ‘I’ve never sat in a team meeting where [the head coach] explains the purpose of this run game — this run style versus this run style — and why we’re trying to get D lineman to do certain things.

No one’s ever talked to me about that before. Like, I’ve learned 20 things in that one, 40 minute team meeting,’” Kittle said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hargrave is an eight year veteran who made a Pro Bowl two years before signing with the Niners this past offseason. It’s hard to overstate just how impressive it is that a coach can actively teach something to a player of that caliber.

If the anecdote Kittle shared is even a little bit accurate as to what Hargrave said, it really speaks to Shanahan’s football intelligence. At the same time, it could also speak to how little Hargrave learned under Sirianni if an explanation of why certain rushing attacks are done under certain conditions is enough to impress him.

The local press has also cast doubt on Sirianni after some surprising Eagles struggles this year, . Normally, a head coach would have to repeatedly beat a rival to show how much better he is. In Shanahan’s case, it appears all he has to do to remind people he’s better than Sirianni is to continue to impress Hargrave.

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