Lynch: Brandon Aiyuk Done With 49ers
The 49ers not only were missing three first-team All-Pro talents — George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner — to close the season, but they played the full 2025 slate without former second-team All-Pro Brandon Aiyuk. A divorce is now imminent.
Long expected to move on from the talented wideout, the 49ers will soon make it official. John Lynch said Wednesday (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner) “it is safe to say” Aiyuk has played his final snap with the franchise.
Aiyuk landed on the team’s reserve/left squad list weeks ago, after Kyle Shanahan said the mercurial pass catcher has been “extremely distant” since his October 2024 ACL tear. Aiyuk’s approach to rehabbing that injury led the 49ers to take the ultra-rare step of voiding his future guarantees; that happened back in July, though it was not known until November. This came after Aiyuk’s return timetable continued to be pushed back, burning a full season — Aiyuk’s age-27 campaign — for a highly valued player.
After five seasons rolling out the Aiyuk-Deebo Samuel combo, the 49ers will separate from both in a two-offseason span. Although no money is guaranteed beyond 2025, Aiyuk will still tag the 49ers with nearly $30MM in cap penalties due to void years and option bonuses included in his four-year, $120MM contract. This comes after the Samuel trade tagged San Francisco with a receiver-record $34.12MM in dead cap. The Samuel money is off the books now, however, since that trade came before June 1 of last year.
When Aiyuk signed his $30MM-per-year deal, he locked in $45MM at signing. A $26.15MM 2026 guarantee vested in April 2025, but the 49ers have voided that. It is extraordinarily rare for a non-suspension to void guarantees. Aiyuk’s injury and disappearance will obviously hurt his value for 2026. Although interested parties will emerge, anything close to a $30MM-per-year deal appears unlikely. It might take a “prove it” pact, and going into an age-28 season, Aiyuk is running short on time to move back into a commanding leverage position. It remains strange he proceeded as he did, with Lynch also expressing confusion (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) at the wideout’s decisions.
Furthermore, Shanahan said (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) Aiyuk ended all communication by not returning any phone calls from 49ers staffers. The veteran coach said he had not seen that happen in 22 years in the business. While Aiyuk may not have torched his value on a Diontae Johnson level, it remains befuddling he proceeded as he did given the guaranteed money in his contract.
The Commanders and Steelers are believed to be interested parties, though the report of Pittsburgh interest came before it was known Mike Tomlin would resign. Tomlin represented the driving force behind the Aiyuk-Steelers near-trade in 2024. Aiyuk would have signed off on a Washington trade to reunite with college teammate Jayden Daniels, but the Commanders did not express significant interest in a trade/extension.
A release is expected, though a late-November report indicated a trade is not entirely off the table. It would still come as a surprise. If the 49ers designate Aiyuk as a post-June 1 cut, the team could save more than $6MM in cap space while incurring barely $8MM in dead money this year. That would seemingly be the way this ends, considering the six-year veteran’s value drop since his severe knee injury.
Aiyuk did not suffer a clean ACL tear, and the 49ers did not expect him back until midway through this season. As recently as early December, the team was hoping for a return. But nothing happened. The two-time 1,000-yard receiver will be looking to bounce back with another team, and an open-market trip would be interesting.
The 49ers seeing Ricky Pearsall miss eight games and Jauan Jennings on track for free agency will make receiver a central need in 2026. The team would like to re-sign Jennings, Shanahan said (via Tafur). Jennings, 28, was not as effective as 2024, when he totaled 975 yards. That drove a push for a new contract, and the 49ers did provide incentives as a compromise. Jennings caught 55 passes for 643 yards, though he did finish with a career-high nine touchdown grabs. He did cash in a $600K incentive for playoff participation, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry tweets.
San Francisco has Pearsall and Demarcus Robinson in the picture at receiver for 2026, necessitating multiple additions to Brock Purdy‘s weaponry cadre — especially with Kittle rehabbing an Achilles tear.
Kyle Shanahan: Gus Bradley ‘Obvious’ Choice For 49ers’ DC Job
The 49ers are without a defensive coordinator after Robert Saleh became the Titans’ head coach on Monday, but it doesn’t appear they’ll go outside the organization for a replacement. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan “all but said” assistant HC Gus Bradley will take over for Saleh, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Asked if he’d cast a wide net for Saleh’s successor, Shanahan revealed: “I’m not going to say it’s a real wide net. Gus is the obvious one to everyone. And (he) is to us, too. Gus would be the main internal candidate. I feel very fortunate to get Gus and feel great about that.”
While it appears the 49ers will promote Bradley, the Rooney Rule requires them to hold in-person interviews with two minority candidates before a decision is made. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz may also emerge as a possibility for the 49ers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN notes. Schwartz is in the running to become the Browns’ head coach, but even if that doesn’t happen, they’d like to retain him.
If Shanahan ultimately chooses Bradley, it would put the 59-year-old in position to serve as a D-coordinator for the fifth time in his career. Bradley previously led defenses for the Seahawks (2009-12), Chargers (2017-20), Raiders (2021) and Colts (2022-24). His greatest success came in Seattle during the early stages of the “Legion of Boom” era. The Seahawks boasted the top scoring defense in Bradley’s last season on the job, but he left a year before they won the Super Bowl.
Bradley departed Seattle to become the head coach of the Jaguars, but it didn’t go well. The Jags posted a disastrous 14-48 record under Bradley from 2013-16, and he hasn’t gotten a second HC chance since then. Notably, Saleh was on Bradley’s staff in Jacksonville. He also worked under Bradley in Seattle.
The familiarity between Saleh and Bradley suggests the 49ers’ defense would transition smoothly from the former to the latter in 2026. In Saleh’s lone year on the job, San Francisco’s defense finished 13th in yards and 20th in points. A rash of injuries – including to the unit’s two best players, linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa – prevented the group from reaching its full potential.
A dislocated and broken ankle ended Warner’s season in Week 6, three weeks after Bosa tore his ACL. Warner underwent surgery in October, but the four-time first-team All-Pro should have a clean bill of health in 2026. Warner said he won’t require any offseason procedures, per Wagoner.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/21/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Atlanta Falcons
- TE Joshua Simon
Chicago Bears
- TE Qadir Ismail
Las Vegas Raiders
- LS Alex Ward
Los Angeles Rams
- S Nate Valcarcel
Miami Dolphins
- LB Seth Coleman
Philadelphia Eagles
- TE Jaheim Bell
San Francisco 49ers
Falcons Add James Liipfert, Ian Cunningham, Josh Williams To GM Interview List
With the Falcons’ search for a new president of football operations and head coach complete, the team is now looking for their next general manager.
Three names have been added to the list: Texans assistant GM James Liipfert (via The Athletic’s Dianna Russini), Bears assitant GM Ian Cunningham (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer), and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). That trio joins Steelers assistant GM Andy Weidl as Atlanta’s first four candidates.
Liipfert got his NFL start with the Patriots. He spent nine years in New England in various scouting roles before joining the Texans as their new director of college scouting in 2019. Liipfert began to move up the chain after Nick Caserio, a former Patriots colleague, was installed as the Texans’ general manager. Liipfert became the assistant director of player personnel in 2022, replaced ‘assistant’ with ‘executive’ in his title the following year, and moved up to assistant GM last June. His job, however, has largely stayed the same. He manages the Texans’ college scouting operations and has therefore played a huge role in building their current roster, which is powered by homegrown players.
Cunningham interviewed for the Falcons’ football operations job that went to Matt Ryan. It never seemed like anyone but Ryan would secure that position, but Cunningham did enough in his first meeting with the team that he is now under consideration for general manager. He interviewed for several jobs over the last few years, including the Jaguars’ and Titans’ GM jobs last offseason. He was thought to be a finalist for those jobs, as well as the Commanders’ vacancy in 2024. Like Liipfert, he has spent his career largely focused on scouting.
Williams also interviewed for what is now Ryan’s job and was a finalist for the Jaguars’ opening last year. He was also a finalist in the Dolphins’ search for a new GM this year, though Miami went with Jon-Eric Sullivan instead. In San Francisco, Williams oversees pro and college scouting and also assists in contract negotiations.
It is clear that the Falcons are looking to draft a general manager with a background in scouting. There are a number of young stars in Atlanta, but almost all of them were secured with first- or second-round picks. In the third round and beyond, former GM Terry Fontenot struggled to find players who could become starters while still on their rookie contract. His successor would look to correct that pattern to add more depth and build around players like Drake London and Bijan Robinson.
Details On Titans’ Robert Saleh Hire
Although a report on Monday pegged Matt Nagy as the frontunner for the Titans’ head coaching position, the team instead hired Robert Saleh several hours later. Nagy and Saleh joined then-Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as the Titans’ finalists, according to insider Jordan Schultz, who reveals the team never seriously considered Mike McCarthy despite interviewing him
Tennessee lost one of its finalists when the Dolphins hired Hafley as their head coach on Monday evening. Saleh, meanwhile, entered his Monday interview with the Titans needing to “win the job,” Albert Breer of SI.com writes.
In successfully landing the role, the former 49ers defensive coordinator secured a five-year contract, per Schultz. Because Saleh’s second stint in San Francisco only lasted one year, the 49ers will not receive draft compensation for losing him, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes.
Saleh’s summit with the Titans included a three-hour meeting with general manager Mike Borgonzi, president of football operations Chad Brinker, and several other members of their front office, Breer relays. Borgonzi made the recommendation to hire Saleh after his successful pitch to team brass.
Saleh impressed the group with a “detailed plan” on working with quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft. That included ideas on putting together the right offensive staff to maximize Ward’s potential. Saleh’s looking for a “CEO-type” offensive coordinator, Schultz says.
We already know Saleh’s offensive staff will not include Mike McDaniel, who developed a strong bond with Saleh when they coached together in San Francisco from 2017-20. Although Saleh had been in contact with McDaniel (via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN), the latter is on the cusp of becoming the Chargers’ offensive coordinator.
Given Ward’s importance to the organization, the Titans wanted all of their head coaching candidates to present a plan for Ward, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. With Saleh now in charge and McDaniel about to come off the board, former Giants head coach Brian Daboll is reportedly in the mix to take over as Ward’s next offensive coordinator.
The Titans interviewed Daboll for their head coaching job, but he may wind up taking on a key role as an assistant with the team. However, Daboll has another suitor in the Eagles, who are interested in him for their O-coordinator opening. He’s also a potential candidate for Buffalo’s head coaching job, which became available when the team unexpectedly fired Sean McDermott on Monday. Daboll spent 2018-21 as the Bills’ OC and aided in developing Josh Allen into an elite signal-caller. In bringing in Daboll to help Ward, the Titans would hope for similar results.
If Daboll doesn’t join Saleh’s staff, Breer identifies former Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, Rams OC Mike LaFleur and Steelers OC Arthur Smith as other possibilities.
Kingsbury helped guide 2024 second overall pick Jayden Daniels to stellar results as a rookie, but multiple injuries largely prevented the dual-threat QB from building on that success this season. After Daniels played in just seven games in 2025, Kingsbury and the Commanders parted ways. Kingsbury has since drawn the attention of teams looking for head coaches and offensive coordinators.
LaFleur also worked with Saleh in San Francisco, though Breer is skeptical he’ll leave Los Angeles this offseason. Interestingly, LaFleur’s brother, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, played a role in the Titans’ decision to hire Saleh. After the Jets fired him as their head coach in October 2024, Saleh ended the season on LaFleur’s staff as an offensive consultant. LaFleur, one of Saleh’s closest friends, provided the Titans helpful feedback during their search.
Smith, a Nashville native, also interviewed for the Titans’ HC gig. Previously a Titans assistant from 2011-20, Smith held the OC role in his last two years with the organization before a three-season run as the Falcons’ head coach. While Smith is still on Pittsburgh’s staff, Mike Tomlin‘s resignation casts doubt on his future with the team.
Saleh will spend the coming weeks assembling his staff, a group he hopes will help produce better results than he generated in New York. The Jets canned Saleh after he posted an unsightly 20-36 record over three-plus seasons. While Saleh didn’t call the defensive plays with the Jets, that will change in his new home, which helps give the Titans confidence the 46-year-old will capitalize on his second chance as a head coach.
Saleh’s “energy and presence” helped win over owner Amy Adams Strunk, whose previous head coaching hire, Brian Callahan, contributed to the franchise’s recent slide. Now stuck in a four-year playoff drought, the Titans have gone a woeful 19-49 since 2022.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/20/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Chicago Bears
- WR Maurice Alexander, RB Brittain Brown, TE Stephen Carlson, LS Luke Elkin, DB Dallis Flowers, DL Jonathan Garvin, LB Dominique Hampton, OL Kyle Hergel, TE Nikola Kalinic, DB Dontae Manning, DL Jeremiah Martin, DB Gervarrius Owens, WR JP Richardson, LB Nephi Sewell
Green Bay Packers
- DL Jaden Crumedy, QB Kyle McCord
Houston Texans
- DE Solomon Byrd, C Eli Cox, WR Josh Kelly, TE Luke Lachey, S Kaevon Merriweather, G Sidy Sow, DT Junior Tafuna, LB Xavier Thomas, WR Jared Wayne
Philadelphia Eagles
- CB Ambry Thomas
Pittsburgh Steelers
- DB Doneiko Slaughter, OL Lorenzo Thompson
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Isaac Alarcon, DL Evan Anderson, CB Eli Apple, WR Junior Bergen, DL William Bradley-King, DB Derrick Canteen, LB Andrew Farmer, S Darrick Forrest, LB Jalen Graham, QB Adrian Martinez, OL Drake Nugent, OL Brandon Parker, WR Malik Turner, DL Sebastian Valdez
Titans To Hire Robert Saleh As HC
Robert Saleh was expected to be choosey with his second head coaching opportunity, but the 49ers’ defensive coordinator has made a decision to dive back in after one season. The Titans are hiring Saleh as their next head coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Saleh, 46, impressed the team’s decision-makers during his interview Monday in Tennessee. He was originally scheduled to speak with the team virtually on Sunday, but the two sides pivoted to an in-person meeting that could not take place until the following day due to league hiring rules.
The race appeared to be down to Saleh and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who was set for his own in-person interview with the Titans on Tuesday. Nagy was the rumored frontrunner as of Monday afternoon, though Saleh was on the radar as a finalist over the weekend. Saleh won over owner Amy Adams Strunk and general manager Mike Borgonzi to become a head coach for the second time in his career. Saleh had an in-person interview with the Cardinals on Tuesday, but the Titans have convinced him to pass on that meeting.
Borgonzi was leaning toward Nagy, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, but ownership’s preference for Saleh ultimately (and unsurprisingly) won out. Davenport sent a follow-up tweet clarifying Saleh impressed Borgonzi, who then voiced his support for this hire rather than reuniting with Nagy. Considering Strunk’s recent history with hirings and firings, it will be interesting to learn if Borgonzi was leaning strongly in the direction of hiring his former Chiefs coworker. Both Nagy and Saleh were second-chance candidates. The Titans interviewed or sought to interview 15 such options, prioritizing experience.
Saleh’s first opportunity as a head coach came with the Jets. Like his new job in Tennessee, the New York stint followed a successful run as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, a position Saleh first held from 2017 to 2020. He was Kyle Shanahan‘s first hire when he took over as San Francisco’s head coach, and the two worked together to turn the league’s bottom-ranked defense into one of its best. By 2019, the transformation was complete, and another strong year in 2020 turned Saleh into one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the 2021 hiring cycle.
The Jets swooped in with a five-year contract, and Saleh moved to New York with the goal of turning the hapless franchise around. But, like several other coaches before him, he could not get the job done with the AFC’s Big Apple franchise. He finished with a 20-36 record before he was fired midway through the 2024 season, his fourth as head coach.
Saleh’s tenure with the Jets was heavily impacted by the team’s inability to land a solid quarterback. General manager Joe Douglas used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft to select Zach Wilson, but the BYU product never came close to meeting his billing.
New York’s offense, coordinated by fellow ex-Shanahan assistant Mike LaFleur, struggled through two seasons with Wilson as a starter before Douglas pivoted to Aaron Rodgers in 2023. As part of their play for the MVP quarterback, the team mutually agreed to part ways with LaFleur to recruit former Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett immediately after his disastrous year as the Broncos’ head coach. Rodgers tore his Achilles on the fourth Jets offensive play of the 2023 season, and the Jets’ offense collapsed with Wilson back under center.
On defense, however, Saleh was able to replicate his work in San Francisco. The Jets finished 32nd in points and yards allowed in his debut year and fourth in both categories in his second. Another strong year in 2023 was wasted after Rodgers’ injury, and Saleh was then fired after a 2-3 start in 2024. Many saw the decision from owner Woody Johnson as an unfair one, as Douglas had been the driving force between acquiring Wilson and Rodgers. Saleh did not receive a full season with the latter, and his 7-10 showings with Wilson under center have aged pretty well.
Saleh signed on as a consultant with the Packers for the rest of the 2024 season before returning to San Francisco in the offseason to retake his former job. The 49ers’ defense did not have the same statistical results in 2025 as their previous top seasons under Saleh, but he coached his way through injuries to several key players. San Francisco lost All-Pros Nick Bosa and Fred Warner early in the season but still finished 12-5 and stifled the Eagles’ offense in the first round of the playoffs. The 49ers, who also lost first-round defensive end Mykel Williams, finished last in sacks but still ranked 13th in points allowed. Though Saleh’s defense allowed just 281 yards in the divisional round, turnovers from San Francisco’s offense led to a 41-6 victory by the Seahawks.
Saleh will have a chance to shape a franchise that does not have many long-term cornerstones outside of rookie quarterback Cam Ward and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Tennessee is projected by OverTheCap to have almost $100MM in 2026 cap space and is slated for the fourth pick in April’s draft.
Saleh’s first order of business will be filling his new staff. His long history in the NFL gives him plenty of relationships with other coaches around the league, especially those also branching off of Shanahan’s tree. Saleh will likely prioritize hiring his offensive coordinator, as he is expected to call defensive plays in Tennessee, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. In New York, he handed that job off to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, and though the unit excelled, Saleh felt disconnected from the game, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could be the first name on Saleh’s list of OC candidates. The two worked together in San Francisco, with McDaniel staying one year longer before he took the job in Miami. They could reunite in Tennessee, per SNY’s Connor Hughes, which would create one of the most exciting head coach-coordinator duos in the league.
Saleh and McDaniel worked together for four seasons in San Francisco. The latter is still up for HC jobs and has been tied to a few OC positions as well. He would certainly be a prime option to coach Ward given his success revitalizing Tua Tagovailoa‘s career earlier this decade.
Connected to the Tennessee job since Brian Callahan‘s firing, Nagy suddenly stands on unstable terrain. He coached this season without a contract for 2026, and the Chiefs hired his predecessor — Eric Bieniemy — to replace him as OC today. It had looked like Nagy would land in Nashville for a bit, and a second interview being scheduled only reaffirmed that expectation. Now, Nagy — who returned to Kansas City as quarterbacks coach under Bieniemy in 2022 before replacing him in ’23 — is a coaching free agent.
Strunk has struggled with big-picture decisions in recent years. She famously fired GM Jon Robinson months after extending him and then fired Mike Vrabel following the 2023 season. She refrained from a true attempt to trade Vrabel in order to get in on the 2024 HC market from the jump. Her Callahan hire backfired, with the Titans giving him only 23 games. Strunk also fired GM Ran Carthon after two years, hiring Borgonzi. The latter snared roster control from president of football ops Chad Brinker after the 2025 season and ran the coaching search.
It is rather interesting to see the Titans hire Saleh before meeting with Nagy a second time, but they will head in a defensive direction — as they did with Vrabel — with Saleh becoming Borgonzi’s first hire as a GM.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
George Kittle Eyeing Early-Season Return
It was assumed that George Kittle‘s Achilles injury would sideline him for a significant chunk of the 2026 campaign. However, the 49ers tight end is confident he’ll be back much earlier thanks to a “best-case scenario” tear.
[RELATED: 49ers’ George Kittle Suffers Torn Achilles]
Speaking to reporters today, Kittle discussed last week’s injury and the subsequent surgery, noting that doctors confirmed the team’s assessment that he suffered a “clean tear” near his soleus, which is located higher on his Achilles tendon.
“They didn’t have to drill into my heel,” Kittle said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “And where the repair was, there’s more blood flow. And so it takes some time off the recovery time. So he’s very excited about everything. My recovery — when I’ll be running, when I’ll be ready to go play again — he’s very excited about it. So that puts me in a really good mood. It’s not as bad as other ones.”
Kittle wouldn’t commit to a definitive timeline, teasing that it would ultimately be a “surprise.” However, the tight end did acknowledge that he expects to be back before November, and he even hinted that he could push for a Week 1 return. As Branch notes, the latter scenario would require an eight-month recovery, which isn’t completely unfounded. Branch cites the roughly six-month recoveries for Michael Crabtree and Cam Akers, as well as Ben Roethlisberger‘s three-month turnaround (although the QB wasn’t cleared to play).
For further intrigue, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported this past weekend that Kittle had also undergone a “SpeedBridge repair,” which carries a bit more risk but should get him back on the field sooner (via Alex Simon of SFGate.com). The player was operated on by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the team physician for the Rams and Dodgers. ElAttrache has also operated on the likes of Nick Bosa (twice), Tom Brady, and Kobe Bryant.
Kittle suffered the injury in the second quarter of San Francisco’s wild-card victory over the Eagles. The tight end said he felt pain when he planted his right foot in anticipation of a tackle, and he immediately knew what injury he had suffered
Cardinals Scheduled In-Person Interview With Robert Saleh
The Titans have identified Robert Saleh as a finalist for their head coaching vacancy, and they’re apparently not the only organization to move the 49ers DC to the second-round of their interview process. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Saleh is scheduled for an in-person interview with the Cardinals on Tuesday.
[RELATED: Titans To Conduct In-Person Robert Saleh HC Interview]
Saleh emerged as a target for Arizona’s head coaching gig earlier this month. He had his first interview with the Cardinals last Thursday. Since then, the 49ers have been eliminated from the postseason, including an ugly performance this past weekend when the Seahawks offense found the end zone on four occasions. Of course, that singular performance wouldn’t be enough to dissuade teams from considering the former Jets head coach.
While his New York stint didn’t go as planned, Saleh has rehabilitated his image during his first season back in San Francisco. Despite the 49ers missing top defenders like Fred Warner and Nick Bosa for much of the campaign, San Francisco still finished the regular season with a 12-5 record. The defense wasn’t unbeatable; they ranked just 20th in total defense and 13th in points allowed. However, Saleh reinforced his reputation of getting the most out of his defensive personnel.
Saleh’s candidacy in Arizona would likely be dependent on the status of his active interview in Tennessee. The coach is currently interviewing for the Titans job, and there’s a chance the organization doesn’t let him out of the building without a deal. In that scenario, the Cardinals would be forced to pivot to another candidate.
Among those names is Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who is considered a “strong candidate” for the job. The other definitive and rumored candidates include:
- Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Patriots): Interview requested
- Matt Burke, defensive coordinator (Texans): Interview requested
- Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/14
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Contacted
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/10
- Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/13
- Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): To interview
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/9
- Chris Shula, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interview requested
- Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/9
Kyle Shanahan: 49ers Will Not Allow Lateral Move For OC Klay Kubiak
Like his brother Klint, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has received interest from multiple teams regarding their head coaching vacancy.
However, if another team comes calling after Kubiak for their offensive coordinator job, San Francisco intends to block such a move, even if it comes with play-calling duties.
“He’s our offensive coordinator, so I don’t know, why would you let him be somebody else’s offensive coordinator,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Saturday (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows). He added that Kubiak “calls a lot of plays here,” suggesting that an offensive coordinator gig elsewhere may not offer him much more than his current role in San Francisco.
That may not be entirely accurate. Kubiak is only the second coach to hold the 49ers’ OC title in Shanahan’s tenure, and the head coach is still considered the team’s main play-caller. Getting out from under Shanahan’s shadow would allow Kubiak to be the primary architect of his own offense. He could demonstrate his ability to bring one of the league’s signature offensive schemes and even add his own wrinkles to further establish his own identity. Success in that role, particularly as a full-time play-caller, would boost Kubiak’s resume for potential future head coaching opportunities.
It seems, though, that he will not get that chance. Kubiak could petition the 49ers to let him out of his contract for a lateral move to another offensive coordinator gig, but the team does not have to oblige him. If that remains their stance, Kubiak may have to wait out his current deal or wait for an offer for a head coaching job to land with a different team. Shanahan’s only other offensive coordinator in the past nine years, Mike McDaniel, was able to vault directly into the Dolphins’ head coaching job without a stint elsewhere, so the potential is certainly there for Kubiak, too.