Nathaniel Hackett and Kyle Shanahan are fortunate sons. Without their famous fathers, would either coach be where they are in the NFL today?

“I have so much respect for Kyle. He’s awesome,” said Hackett, who will match wits against Shanahan in prime time Sunday, when the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers remind us how powerful a role nepotism can play in the coaching ranks. “He’s a coach’s kid, which you’re always a little biased for any coach’s kid.”

Well, pro football certainly has shown favor to these two sons of the game.

The current head coaches of the Broncos and Niners grew up in the sport. Paul Hackett was a football lifer, getting the chance along the way to lead the USC Trojans and Pittsburgh Panthers. Mike Shanahan, architect of Super Bowl victories and a proud member of the Ring of Fame, needs no introduction in this dusty old cowtown. When the apples of their eyes fell from the family tree, Nathaniel and Kyle landed huge advantages in the coaching fraternity.

Although there’s no doubt young Shanahan and the junior Hackett labored tirelessly in the 24/7 grind of this crazy sport, it’s fair to ask how much bias played in their rise up the ranks.

I can’t help but wonder: If Eric Bieniemy had been born the son of a famous football coach instead of winning a national championship as a player at the University of Colorado and earning a Super Bowl ring as a top assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs, would he have the opportunity to be in charge of his own NFL team right now?

Back in January, when Hackett was introduced as the 18th man in franchise history to be entrusted with winning games for the Broncos, he saluted his father and cited family history as a major factor in his preparation for the job.

“My dad is a football coach,” Hackett said, “and being a football coach’s kid, it’s not cool sometimes.”

These days, while hearing criticism too loud to ignore, Shanahan and Hackett are being reminded how uncool it can be to be a coach’s son who doesn’t succeed.

With the Denver crowd mocking Hackett by counting down the play clock and Shanahan feeling heat in San Francisco after an awkward transfer of power at quarterback, these are head coaches in their early 40’s still trying to prove they’ve done more than ride famous fathers’ coattails to sweet gigs on the sideline.

Getting booed in his home stadium after what might be the shortest honeymoon experienced by any coach in league history, there’s urgency for Hackett to demonstrate he has the football acumen to coax more than 16 points per game from quarterback Russell Wilson. This team has been bad and boring for too long for Broncos Country to put up with the same old stuff.

Remember when young Shanny was the coach Denver should’ve hired instead of Vance Joseph? Disgruntled fans of the Niners might consider swapping coaches with the Broncos, if Hackett had shown any signs of competence.

Despite taking the Niners to Super Bowl LIV, where he lost to Patrick Mahomes, Bieniemy and the Chiefs, the pressure has begun to build during Shanahan’s sixth season in San Francisco.

He’s not a wunderkind any longer. He’s a coach with a very mediocre 44-45 career record (including playoffs), not to mention an uncomfortable situation requiring him to kiss and make up with a quarterback Shanahan tried to dump.

As Vic Fangio reminded me constantly, any NFL coach can look like a dummy without a strong quarterback. Or as Shanahan recently put it: “There’s not like a store where you go and get quarterbacks any time.”

With Jimmy Garoppolo as starting quarterback, the 49ers have a 35-16 record. Without him in the lineup, the record suggests Shanahan might be among the worst coaches in the league.

Nevertheless, Shanahan dumped the competent, likable Jimmy G for Trey Lance — a hot, young prospect obtained with a first-round draft choice. Don’t know about you, but it reminded me a little of the time Kyle’s father discarded Jake Plummer for some hotshot named Jay Cutler.

Against the same Seattle team that beat Denver in the season-opener, Lance suffered a broken ankle in Week 2. The gruesome injury ended Lance’s season, but might have saved Shanahan’s job by forcing him to give the reins back to Garoppolo, a QB who he unsuccessfully tried to trade during the offseason.

“Never thought we’d lose our quarterback for the year during Week 2,” Shanahan said. “So now I feel very lucky … Everything happens for a reason.”

Whether it’s Hackett or Shanahan, the winner of this game will have every reason to believe his team is playoff bound.

The loser? He will be on the hot seat, reminded it’s not always cool to be a coach’s son.