49ers’ dash for Kyle Shanahan could encounter a wrinkle

Jed York thinks he hit a home run with the potential hire of Kyle Shanahan.

York was patient at the plate. He didn’t swing at the first pitch. He worked the count, laid off the sliders in the dirt and when he found a pitch he liked, he crushed it down the left field line.

The ball still is flying through the air. It’s flying in slow motion, and it hasn’t reached the fence yet. Can’t reach the fence until Shanahan officially accepts York’s offer to become the 49ers’ next head coach. And that can’t happen until after the Super Bowl.

The ball is starting to hook to the left. Every passing day, the ball hooks a little more toward the left field foul pole. York is jogging down the first-base line waving his hands toward fair territory like Carlton Fisk in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Waving is all York can do. Only God knows where the ball will land.

In this case, God is Arthur Blank, owner of Atlanta Falcons. Blank will determine if York’s fly ball is a walk-off or just a long strike. Blank is all-knowing and all-powerful.

Click here to read the rest of my Wednesday column.

This article has 306 Comments

    1. Lol, No joke rocket. Seriously, this isn’t the game show Deal Or No Deal Grant.

      And by the way, Jed can afford to, and will match any offer Blank puts on the table. Arthur Blank may have more money, but the 49ers ownership has more than enough money to hold their own. Besides, nobody’s going to pay Shanahan Head Coach money to be the OC, even Blanks. Guys like Blank don’t get rich by having a havit over overpaying for assets. Besides, from what I understand, Arthur Blank supports Kyle Shanahan’s desire to be an NFL Head Coach, and it’s almost certainly not going to be a position the Falcons are looking to fill anytime soon.

      This ship has left the harbor Grant. I hope you didn’t miss the launch.

      My question to you Grant is: Do you think Jed York has reconsidered Tom Gamble as a candidate for the GM position? And, if Kyle Shanahan has made it clear that he wants to work with Tom, would Jed refuse, given Gambles qualifications?

      For those unfamiliar with my man Tom Gamble, here is some information:

      A successful talent elevuator with a plethora of NFL experience, TOM GAMBLE returned to the 49ers as the team’s senior personnel executive during the 2015 offseason after spending the previous 2 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as their vice president of player personnel. Gamble’s extensive NFL resume includes work in both college and pro scouting, contract negotiations and a stint in the coaching ranks. During his time in the league, GAMBLE HAS HAD HIS HAND IN PRODUCING 12 PLAYOFF TEAMS, including 5 with Indianapolis, 5 with Philadelphia and 2 WITH SAN FRANCISCO.

      In 2012, Gamble oversaw both the college and pro personnel efforts of the 49ers while working closely with general manager Trent Baalke. With assistance from Gamble, the 49ers tied for the NFL-lead with a LEAGUE RECORD 9 PRO BOWL SELECTIONS, while the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl XLVII.

      Prior to being named director of player personnel, Gamble served as the director of pro personnel for the previous 7 SEASONS IN SAN FRANCISCO. In that role, Gamble monitored EVERY NFL ROSTER in the league, with an emphasis on scouting talent of upcoming free agents, while also maintaining continuous depth of personnel of the 49ers roster. In 2010, he was assigned additional responsibilities in collegiate scouting in order to maximize the use of his talent evaluation expertise.

      Obviously, Tom Gamble has a very good reputation around the NFL, and should be considered a serious GM candidate around the league, and specifically for the 49ers, where he has a rich history of success.

      1. Why would Blank want to hold back a leader like KS?
        Has he no faith in the current HC and staff and personnel department that has built this team?
        The 49ers in the glory years we’re proud to let their coordinators go onto more prominent positions. This would show a very selfish disposition of Art Blank

      2. Blank is worth $3.3 billion — he can pay Shanahan head-coach money for a year. Plus he’d get his money back from selling all the PSLs.

            1. Sure they would but why let him pass up an opportunity for full control and be a HC?
              And there is no guarantee ATL will get back to the SB next year win or lose this year!

              1. If the Falcons lose Shanahan. their chances of returning to the Super Bowl greatly diminish.

              2. So no credit to Matt Ryan, Julio, Coleman, Freeman, and Dan Quinn?
                I’m thinking with that talent, their QB coach can just photocopy the years play calls and get the job done

              3. Let me ask you this Grant.
                If you could be the lead communist at Newspaper X, full content control, 50% raise,would you stay at the PD?

              4. But a guy like you with so much talent and so much flavour, could make it great! That’s how winners think!

  1. God, I hope this is not the case. What option, if any, do the 49ers have now that the best case(and only) scenario fell in their lap?

    If they promised the world to Shanahan, he denies them later and they lost out on a promising young GM like Wolf, that would be catastrophic.

    It would not be foul left. It would be like Jed popped it up, the ball came back down, knocked him out, and he crapped his pants while losing the world series.

    1. But thats typical York scenario
      I am still worried that we might get stuck with Baalke and Tomsula since we know Jedster likes reunions ala Parag

  2. Fine column, Grant. After reading it I am more confident that Shanahan is not coming here. As some of you know, I’ve said I would wear a clown avatar for a month if I am wrong. Now I propose a bet with anyone who takes the opposite side: If I am wrong I wear a clown for two months, not one; if you are wrong, you wear a clown for just a month. Those are good terms. Any takers?

    1. George you know darn well if we land little Shanny you wouldn’t care what avatar you have…you’d be happy as a clown

      1. Leo, I would. I still hope they turn things around. As you may know, prior to the Harbaugh years the last time we won more than 8 games was in 2002, Mariucci’s last year as HC. He was fired in a power struggle with The Yorks and Terry Donahue. Sound familiar? The York family has learned nothing about managing a winner over all the years they have owned the team. If Shanahan accepts the offer, it would be great, but unless the Yorks stay completely away from the football operations, it will not mark a turnaround, IMVHO. Ask yourself this: Why after all these years would they change their MO? The only answer that I think makes sense is if they have started to fear that the League has entered a period in which it is no longer enough to own a franchise, you have to own a winning franchise. TV viewership is down nationally, so maybe they have started to fear this. We shall see.

    2. The only thing that could have made this column better would have been instead of $5 Million dollars inside the briefcase….. it glowed Gold and was Marcellus Wallace’s soul. Then Samuel L Jackson and Travolta walk in, close the briefcase and say “He can’t give this to you because it doesn’t belong to him.” And then they both walk away to surf music!!!

  3. Mr. Blank would be on the S-List of every owner in the league for destroying the assistant salary structure. Mark Davis, for one, would not have a chance of maintaining a winning level staff. But, Blank is big dude, probably is willing to weather a storm like that.

  4. Laugh if you will, Grant actually has a point. After all, it’s basically is the strategy the 49ers used with Harbaugh the last season he was here. Heck, we all know he was gone before the season started.

  5. Grant,
    You right well. However, fiction should be labeled as such. Stick with the nonfiction prose.

  6. Not too far-fetched….should have included imagery of him twisting his little mustache….What in the world would Jed do? He seems like a man w/o a plan B.

    On the other hand I’m sure Quinn and Blank knew of the possibility of Kyle leaving after a year or 2 of signing him. I’m sure they have a plan B. Smart people always have plan B’s.

      1. yes that’s a name I’ve heard… I don’t believe all this Chip non-sense…Chip system is a full team buy-in….but I do wonder how he would do as just an OC

    1. And here’s where the rubber hits the road. Arthur Blank is never going to offer Kyle Shanahan the type of money relegated to Head Coaches. Blank is a smart, and PRUDENT man. You don’t accumulate 3.3 billion in assets by over paying people.

      In cased you missed it Grant, Arthur Blank’s Atlanta Falcons are heading to the Super Bowl in 2017. And, while I’ll give Kyle a lot of credit, one reason the Falcons turned the corner this season is due to their inproved defense. The numbers aren’t flashy, but they have improved every step of the way this season.

      And of course, even if they lose Shanny, they still have the highest rated QB of 2016-17 in Matt Ryan, who has certainly reached elite status. They still have the best wide receiver in the NFC (and arguably the entire NFL) in Julio Jones, an exceptional #2 WR in Mohamed Sanu, potentially a very good, up and coming slot receiver in Taylor Gabriel (16.5 avg, 21 1st downs) although he will be a FA, an exceptional RB duo of Freeman and Coleman, an exciting rookie TE from Stanford, Austin Hooper, and last but not least, PFF’s 7th ranked NFL Offensive Line!

      Something tells me Mercedes-Benz Stadium PSL’s are going to be a hot ticket, with or without Kyle Shanahan!

        1. By the way Grant, have you heard anything to support the notion that Arthur Blank doesn’t support Kyle Shanahan using this golden opportunity to secure his goal of becoming an NFL head coach? All indications are to the contrary. According to MIKE SILVER of NFL Network (who rarely gets this stuff wrong) , it’s “almost certain” Shanahan will accept the job, making him the team’s next head coach. In addition, according to multiple reports, Kyle has already been announced in the locker room as the 49ers next HC, in front of the Falcons staff and has received congratulations by both staff and players. Would that have happened without Blank’s approval? I doubt it.

          http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/report-shanahan-announced-49ers-coach-falcons-staff

          Of course no owner in his right mind wants to lose such a talented Offensive Coordinator.

  7. Yeah, not buying it. The major issue with your scenario is a deal today is always better than a deal a year from today. Future jobs are not guaranteed. There’s absolutely nothing to say the Colts job will be open next year. The 49ers are the 2nd worst job in the NFL behind Cleveland. I ALWAYS liked taking jobs that were absolute disasters because it’s so easy to look good. If you’re a good coach, you come in and can make improvements right away. Taking over a successful team or a team with a top end QB is difficult since the expectations are so high. If you win, it wasn’t you – It was the team that was already put in place. If you lose, then it’s all on you. The 49er situation is a great situation. No one expects immediate success. There is no way in hell York causes a problem for you over the next 2 to 3 years. If Shanny has a say in the GM search then he also gets to walk into a job where he is working for/with a GM he wants to work with. Plus Shanny gets a fresh start with a QB of his choosing. It’s a great career move for Shanny to join the 49ers.

  8. In reality Grant’s scenario is far fetched. But I have to admit that I had some of the same thoughts about Shanahan’s options and the Falcons.

    That being said, Grant (in the character of Arthur Blank) dumped all over the Niners opportunity. But the reality is that Shanahan is in the drivers seat with his dealings with the Niners (it’s not like they have many other viable) options. Kyle has heavy influence on who his GM will be and if he wanted to seize a significant amount of power (like roster control)…if the GM he wants is cool with that…. And the Niners were so bad in 2016 that even in a rebuilding year; Kyle’s efforts will likely show some improvement for the 2-6 49ers…or to put in other words…”there’s nowhere to go but up” (though I thought that Kelly would at least be able to match Tomsula’s record…so who knows….)

  9. This is good stuff. Grant knows 49ers fans are nervous right now so why not take advantage of it.

  10. I’m agnostic on the whole Kyle Shanahan situation. Don’t get me wrong, I would love nothing better than to secure him as the next HC. But there still too many ways for this deal to go sideways…

  11. This is why I come to this site. Nice work.

    I agree, why would anyone want to come here with tall promises, only to be stabbed in the back by leaks that he will be fired just before he coaches his last game? Why would anyone want to destroy his career by working under Jed?

    Blank wants championships, and KS can possibly help him win multiple championships.

    1. Because, in the NFL Seb, you need to strike while the iron is hot. And the only thing certain in life is death, taxes, and the corruption of the new POTUS (I couldn’t help myself). Matt Ryan could suffer 2 torn ACL’s and a Glenoid Labrum Tear in his throwing shoulder, at the start of training camp next season. Kyle Shanahan is at the top of his game as an OC right now. He’s coming off of 2 incredible displays of strategic depth of play calling with the mauling of 2 of the NFC’s best teams.

      Kyle covets a team that will allow him to have the final say on player personnel, and the 49ers are offering him just that. Additionally, the 49ers have a storied history, a legacy he would love to revive and be a part of. He has a personal history with the 49ers given his father’s past, and has likely been given the green light to bring his father aboard in some role. On top of that, the team has clearly hit rock bottom and have nowhere else to go but up. Jed has to be embarrassed by firing 2 head coaches in back to back seasons, so there is a very good likelihood that their next HC will have a very long leash. In fact, sources around the league who are familiar with the process, believe the 49ers could very well have been the most desirable head coaching opening in the league, even before teams began to fill their HC jobs for those multitude of reasons alone.

      However, it gets even better. Kyle either has his choice of any of the incoming QB draft prospect to develop, which is something he is very good at and loves to do, or he can draft one of the most feared pass rushing prospects to come out of college in some time if his desired QB prospect goes at #1. He’s got the 2nd pick in each subsequent round of this years draft and 11 picks over all. He’s inheriting a team in glorious shape in terms of the cap, with $80 or so million dollars to go on a free agent shopping spree. He’s also going to be involved in terms of the hiring of the General Manager whom he will be working closely with. And say what you will about Marathe, he’s as sharp as they come when it comes to analytics and contracts.

      I’d even go as far as to say Kyle would consider himself fortunate to land the next head coaching position of the 5 time Super Bowl Champion, San Francisco 49ERS!!!!!! GOOOOO NINERS!!!!

          1. On a different note, I laugh at the fickleness of 49ers fans. If Jed York had announce that he was promoting Tome Gable (who’s track record certainly makes him worthy, IMO) and firing Trent Baalke, fans would have been over the moon.

            The fact that York has opened up the process and has interviewed multiple qualified prospects outside of Gamble, simple minded fans assume Gamble must not be a worthy candidate.

            Yet nobody can explain to me why George Patton is a better GM prospect than Gamble.

            SMH

              1. I’ll post this again, and hopefully one of you who support Patton’s hire can rebut Gamble and show me why Patton is a better prospect:

                A successful talent elevuator with a plethora of NFL experience, TOM GAMBLE returned to the 49ers as the team’s senior personnel executive during the 2015 offseason after spending the previous 2 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as their vice president of player personnel. Gamble’s extensive NFL resume includes work in both college and pro scouting, contract negotiations and a stint in the coaching ranks. During his time in the league, GAMBLE HAS HAD HIS HAND IN PRODUCING 12 PLAYOFF TEAMS, including 5 with Indianapolis, 5 with Philadelphia and 2 WITH SAN FRANCISCO.

                In 2012, Gamble oversaw both the college and pro personnel efforts of the 49ers while working closely with general manager Trent Baalke. With assistance from Gamble, the 49ers tied for the NFL-lead with a LEAGUE RECORD 9 PRO BOWL SELECTIONS, while the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl XLVII.

                Prior to being named director of player personnel, Gamble served as the director of pro personnel for the previous 7 SEASONS IN SAN FRANCISCO. In that role, Gamble monitored EVERY NFL ROSTER in the league, with an emphasis on scouting talent of upcoming free agents, while also maintaining continuous depth of personnel of the 49ers roster. In 2010, he was assigned additional responsibilities in collegiate scouting in order to maximize the use of his talent evaluation expertise.

                Obviously, Tom Gamble has a very good reputation around the NFL, and should be considered a serious GM candidate around the league, and specifically for the 49ers, where he has a rich history of success.

              2. Gamble has 27 years of NFL front-office experience with six different teams. Gamble’s was instrumental in bringing in talents such as NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Anquan Boldin and Eric Reid. With the Philadelphia Eagles, Gamble was credited with bringing in Zach Ertz and Jordan Matthews. In addition, Gamble was instrumental in recruiting free-agent additions to the Eagles like Connor Barwin, Cary Williams, Malcolm Jenkins and a key offseason trade to acquire veteran Darren Sproles.

                Gamble’s personnel executive roots: Gamble is the son of former Eagles team president Harry Gamble, who gave him his start with the Eagles back in 1988. Gamble started off as an assistant in the personnel department. In addition to coming from a football family, Gamble also worked for Hall of Famer Bill Polian. For those who don’t know about Polian’s exploits, Polian is a six-time NFL Executive of the Year and a Super Bowl champion.

              3. And I know that Gamble comes highly recommended by one BILL POLIAN – six-time NFL Executive of the Year and a Super Bowl champion.!!!

            1. Ahem, 49, George Patton would be a superior leader, he once declared he would use the enemy’s guts to lubricate his tank’s treads.

              However, George Patton is dead.

              George Paton may be superior, but he also may be the Colts’ next GM.

              1. if we could and resurect and re-animate that guy, I’d be all in Seb!

                After all, that Gearge Patton once said: “Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.”

                Seems appropriate for the situation at hand, doesn’t it?.

              2. You’re a witty guy Seb, and I appreciate that. Now when it comes to brevity …….. lol.

              3. Yup, he could overcome many obstacles, but at the cost of too many of his men.

                Eisenhower would be my general to lead the team to victory.

      1. That is some good writing, I like everything that you wrote, I get tired of reading
        all this trash stuff that been said, all of those who talk there crap and do nothing
        but bad mouth the niners are not real 49er fans, they . What will they say when they winning again, they will have to eat crow, HA! HA!.

        1. I hope the Niners come storming back, but if you think that they will make the playoffs next year, I wish to disabuse you of that notion.

    2. “This is why I come to this site.”

      No, you come here because you got the boot everywhere else.

      1. Yeah, I got booted from NN for calling some poster who wished the Niners to lose all their games, not a ‘real’ fan. No profanity, no vicious hate. not wishing violence. I am glad I left that site, It is filled with mental lightweights twittering amongst themselves trite twaddle.

        Maybe you are clueless,but it is child’s play to make another email account and post under another name.I could very easily have gone on that site, but choose to post here.

        Grant’s latest post is exactly why I like this site so much. Being verbose, I can appreciate good literary craftsmanship. It is refreshing, entertaining, and makes me think.

          1. Obviously, you have never been banned before, even though you violate every rule for calm civil and respectful debate.

            1. Idiots get banned, I’m not an idiot! You must have said something really dumb to get banned. I’m not surprised the least. DA

              1. Please learn to read. I said I was banned for saying that a poster who wanted the Niners to lose every game to not be a ‘real’ fan.That was all. You, with your expletive filled tirades and unctuous name calling should have been banned a long time ago.

          1. Oh, Jack, dwelling on something that happened years ago just shows how desperate you are to say something disparaging.

            You still missed a spot on your right nostril…..

        1. >>Yeah, I got booted from NN for calling some poster who wished the Niners to lose all their games, not a ‘real’ fan.

          That sounds HIGHLY unlikely. If NN policed the blog that stringently there’d be zero posters there.

          1. Rib, there is a clique, and Germ and I had some doozies of an arguments, so they banned me for the most trivial reason. They still bring up my name and speak it in a hushed tone, but all do not want me back because they fear me.

            1. They *fear* you? OMG, no doubt quaking in their boots, I bet. Either that, or you totally went off the deep end.

  12. Grant – You’re scenario is reasonable and the point that seems to be missed is: who on this board would gamble that you are wrong with the future of the franchise on the line. Jed will because he knows he cannot be fired and, at the end of the day, he just keeps hiding from the fans and his family continues to get rich. People are looking at Jed like he is normal like the rest of us. He is not. If Shanny is smart, he will take into account Jed’s history of hiring people and then hanging them out to dry and have his lawyers write into the contract that clearly spells out what will happen to the 49ers if Kyle is not given a certain amount of time to turn the ship around. I would not work for him under any other conditions because the only thing the Yorks understand is money. At the end of the day that is Paraags role. He is the King’s treasurer and every decision that he gives input to has money in the equation. The person in charge should be given a budget which he participates in creating and then left to his own devices to deliver the goods. Instead the 49ers are run by a committee consisting of the three Yorks and Paraag.

  13. Maybe I’m arrested in 9th or 10th grade. But 13-16 year teenagers are in the heat of developing their identity and their interests.

    I became a niners fan at age. I identified with the sports I played and the carreer aspirations I came up with. All things that have stayed with me. Grant, I bet watching your dad do what he did when you were that age had something to do with why you do what you do.

    Do you know what kyle was doing when he was 15 years old. He was watching his dad be the offensive coordinator for the 9ers while they were winning the super bowl. He was probably around the players all the niner greats. He probably also heard some stuff at home about his dads aspirations to be the coach of the niners.

    My point is you can’t underestimate this wild card with Kyle. Your plan makes sense 100% and for many coaches I think it would give them things to think about. But my guess is Kyle has something inside of him which idnetifies deeply with niners and a wish to bring them back to the greatness of years past.

    He has already chosen to go with the 9ers when logic would dictate that he should’ve been more interested in the broncos, rams, etc. when this coaching search started I don’t think any of us thought that the hottest coaching candidate would want us.

    1. FYI, KS said that he preferred the Bronco job initially. Niners were not his first choice.

        1. Unsubstantiated rumor. All the teams save one thought he was worth the wait, the 49ers. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is….

        2. It was the headline on another blog site post. Made sense. Mike, his father won a couple rings, so it would be like passing the torch.

          Also, the Denver defense is of Super Bowl quality. They only need QB competence, and KS could provide a top 10 offense. Much better chance for success. He would report to John Elway.

          If KS went to the Niners, he would have to report to Jed.
          Posters on this site claim that the Niners have no QB, and the defense ranks at the bottom in many categories.

          Of course, Denver would have been his first choice. Denver is a recent SB winner.

  14. I think this is actually very close to the truth in terms of what will happen, but Shanahan will ultimately use it as leverage to make the Niners pony up more cheddar and/or control. Blank might do it just to help Shanahan get more money.

  15. didn’t read this trash. straight to the comments section. stop writing trash grant cone. nothing u predict comes true. U AINT TIM KAWAKASHI! HAHAHAHHA

    1. How can you say anything is trash by not reading it?

      Sounds like you want to disparage GC, no matter what.

      Prejudiced and ignorant, spewing hate.

        1. Are you referring to George, htwaits, JPN? They may not find your ageist bullying very funny.

    2. Sheepishly raised hand and nods, I too just skimped through without really reading it. Guilty as charged, Sebber!

  16. I think KS will come here to the Niners. In Atlanta the team is Quinn and McKay’s team. Her it will be his team. He along with the GM will built it their way. If York fires him after a season or two, Kyle will probably still look good as it will take at least 3 years to get this team right and York will have burned so many coaches he will now have his choice of the best high school coaches in America.

    1. The underlying issue here for KS is full control. He has that in SF. He won’t in Indy or ATL. There is no guarantee that ATL will get back there next year if they don’t win. Free agency and injuries change a lot.
      This type of opportunity doesn’t come around often. KS will take the job.

  17. I’m sure Dan Quinn would be thrilled to be informed by Blank he has a new Assistant HC to replace his current trusted lieutenant in Raheem Morris, and that he is getting paid a higher salary than Quinn. :-P

      1. I’m sure he would still be thrilled to see after taking the team to the SB he got paid less as the HC the past couple of years than his newly thrust upon him Assistant HC, without a by-your-leave.

        I’d like to think Blank is smarter than dictating the staff to the HC that just took his team to the SB.

          1. I think Quinn is the sort of person that would be just as happy to see his assistants get promoted to HC jobs. Because he knows the best way to attract good coaches is to be known as a HC whose assistants go on to those jobs.

              1. This decision has been done for a while. Just like 2 years ago with Quinn in Atlanta. There is no reason for Kyle to return to Atlanta. Things change every year in the NFL. They debated fireing him before the season cause him and Ryan were not clicking. He understands that a contract prolly in the neighborhood of 5 years and 35 mil with complete control of a roster and a face of a franchise which happens to be the franchise he grew up rooting for when he was a kid… Nothing to see here just a read to get everyone going. There is not one single interview or rumor of a different coach coming in. There is only an interview taking place with the GMs of his likeing on Saturday.

              2. There have been reports Shanahan would get seven million a year.

              3. Blank won’t give Shanny 7 mil to be OC. The Falcons are keeping Shanahan’s staff in place for continuity.

              4. Why not? It would be for one year. And Blank would only have to give him $6 million to match the money Shanny would make after taxes.

              5. Kyle will never get an opportunity like this again. To pick his own GM. To get paid 7 mil a year. To build a team up from the ground up. To live in the Bay Area instead of Atlanta LOL.. Nothing to see here just Grant spinning people up cause he can. Well done Grant well done.

              6. He will get many superior opportunities next year. Coaching the 49ers is not an appealing opportunity, no matter how much money and power he gets. He’ll get money from the next team and probably a QB as well.

              7. See you don’t know that. Your talking out of your azz. He was almost fired before the season began because he wasn’t viewed as a fit. If Matt Ryan goes down next year and they struggle he is stuck there. It makes no sense for him to return. Niners are his dream job. He gets full control of his child hoods team…

              8. He will get many superior opportunities next year. Coaching the 49ers is not an appealing opportunity, no matter how much money and power he gets. He’ll get money from the next team and probably a QB as well.

                A lot of assumptions here. Sure he will have other opportunities, but how many will give him as much control as the Niners apparently are willing to according to your source?

                There is a fair bit of appeal to the Niner job: Location, Draft position, Cap room, Low Expectations etc. The biggest appeal though is that it is available now. Not next year or the year after. He has a job waiting for him and an owner who values him enough to have him take part in the hiring of the GM he will be working with. I would say few openings that pop up offer this kind of responsibility.

              9. Show me your source on that. He interviewed for that job and the Niners. You don’t know that.

              10. Grant,

                The Falcons will promote LaFleur, McDaniel, or Turner and run the same offense. There is no need for Blank to give Shanny 6 million.

                Shanny wouldn’t have agreed to agree with us if he wanted to wait for better opportunities next year. The Colts are the only team that could pry Kyle away from us.

              11. KS should rationally ask why he would not end up like Chip, although he made out well with a 24 mil payout for a year’s worth of work.

              12. >>KS should rationally ask why he would not end up like Chip

                Because he knows (or he’d better have the confidence to believe) he could produce a much better result than a 2 win season.

        1. ATL management probably thinks they can pretty much make a seamless transition from KS for these simple reason:
          1. Matt Ryan
          2. Best WR in the NFL
          3. Best RB tandem in the NFL
          4.Pretty decent online

          I mean with all those things, even Jimmy Raye could not mess it up!

      2. If this happens, I hope the Niners just flip the bird to the league and take a year off. And have the Raiders and every other team this would basically destroy do the same thing. And stay out until the league restores fair dealing. Because we know that if they don’t, Jones and Kraft will just up the ante until the NFL is just a 3-team league, for all intents and purposes.

        Even George Steinbrenner and Charlie Finley came to learn that they were not bigger than baseball. Though that realization probably killed them.

  18. Grant, you are a horrible person for writing this article. Why would you want to put the 49ers’ fans through those thoughts?

    1. Add the Steelers to the list of teams that will be looking for a QB of the future pretty early this year.

  19. Well I’m figuring they must have some kind of solid agreement in place, otherwise they would at least interview a back up plan. If Shanny JR doesn’t come Maybe the Colts dump Pagano & we get stuck with him as a leftover

    1. You bet your ass there’s an agreement in place, just as it was when Quinn was in the same situation….

  20. Grant – Your conjecture actually holds a lot of water. The biggest key for little Shanny taking the job is “TRUST.” Can he trust Jed and Paraag to be true to their words in the interview process, or is their past history in just the last 4 years cause for the bait and switch concern? If KS was 55 or older and was about the age where head coaching opportunities rapidly were approaching the sunset years, I could see where he would take the job regardless. However, at just 37 and on the threshold of his prime years as an NFL head coach which potentially may last up to two decades, he can afford to take a pass on the Niner job, fully knowing that at least 5 or 6 jobs open annually. Next year’s possible openings, for example, could include Indy, Minnesota, Chicago and Cincinnati, and 3 of those 4 have at least 1 legitimate QB. Don’t discount Blank using his business savvy and putting an offer on the table. The logic of it is too obvious for him not to see. Stranger things have happened.

    1. The problem is such a move could be seen in a negative light by other GMs.

      1. If there were any doubts at all that Kyle was debating his decision there would of been other interviews on deck. Not only that but Cable would still be in the running for the job. For Christ sake it’s been reported that all the Falcons coaching celebrated the fact that Kyle accepted the job… It’s a done deal!

        1. I agree RAW. I am just pointing that the soap opera scenario Grant is suggesting would probably not be a good look on Shanahan.

          1. It makes zero sense for him to back out.. Financially stupid. What other job can open up and offer full control of a franchise as a first time coach. Not even JH got that. 7 mil a year plus power. He my friend is a fukking moron if he decides to stay. Cause guess what, nothing is for sure in the NFL. You got to strike while is value will never be higher.

  21. Great article Grant, though I could do without the God talk. As a Jewish atheist surrounded by Baptists in Texas, I’ve had about all I can take.

    If this does come to pass, I think the 49ers are about to see something of biblical proportions: the Exodus (in mass, of fans).

      1. Culturally Jewish, religiously atheist. Not uncommon, there’s thousands upon thousands like that here in NYC.

    1. Imagine a lustier Larry David surrounded by beautiful women who have to be distracted from their “relationship with the lord.”

  22. Shanahan was my #1 choice all along!!! The thing that scared me is will Blank change his mind, fire the coach & promote Shanahan 2 head coach (like Tampa Bay did a couple yrs ago). If I were Blank it would be a “No Brainer”, Kyle would be my head coach!!! . . . But I hope I’m wrong, WE NEED Kyle!!!! (Go 9ers!!!)

  23. 49er Fans,

    This is the inept repeat of coaching searches past….1. Purposely include Paraag in the interview sessions to stare down the coaching prospects, flex his muscles, show them his power and W-H-A-M…..Deal breaker. 2. Leak personnel file info. about a past coaches drinking problems, to really send a message your not looking for confident, smart, and powerful coaches–you really want the generic brand name–your next Tomsula.
    3. After all this hits the 24 HR. news cycle and the entire NFL coaching fraternity is disgusted, and you’ve ensured Paton has gone to the Colts (The worst ranked GM candidate), hire , turn your coach search caravan around, head back to Santa Clara and hire the last man standing—Gamble, who chooses from the list below:

    The 16 Worst Coaches In Modern NFL History

    DREW MAGARY and DOM COSENTINO
    6/14/13 12:30pm
    · Filed to: worst coaches

    “We are living in the Golden Age of Terrible NFL Coaching. The NFL rulebook and offensive and defensive playbooks have become so complex in the 21st century that only a hobo savant like Bill Belichick can even come close to making every right decision over the course of an entire football game. ”

    3. Les Steckel (career record: 3-13)

    The delay in hiring Shanahan and his accompanying general manager has some former 49ers worried, especially in light of the Colts’ pursuit of Paton to team with coach Chuck Pagano, who’s job isn’t exactly stable.

    “The delay is a little nerve-racking,” former 49ers tight end Brent Jones told KNBR 680-AM Monday. “My biggest concern is, the more time that clicks away, the more time we have to lose our front-runners. We’ve lost more front-runners in the last few weeks than anybody. So I’m starting to see visions of, ‘Gosh, do we have a coach left to hire?’ I am getting a little nervous.”

    “I am worried that he’s going to turn us down, because a lot of people have,” former wide receiver Dwight Clark added on KNBR.

    1. Ed,

      Blank doesn’t have to fire his head coach to keep Shanahan.

      Just do what Jed’s Uncle Eddie did… Create a new title, Assistant to the President/and OC.

      Shanahan has the players in ATL and the freedom to creative freedom to design pass plays w/o ownership breathing down his neck or a Silicon Valley Executive party parading though his locker room after a tough loss, or Thanksgiving meals served to the Seattle Seahawks on his own 50 yard line.

      If I was Shanny’s agent I would be derelict in my duties not to inform him, “Hey, you’re a SuperBowl coach. You just bought yourself a free year, until another, more stable organization hands you the keys of total power (minus Jed/Paraag) . Run with it !!!

      1. Blank was being diplomatic. He may figure that it would be a small price to pay to keep Ryan clicking. There is no guarantee that another OC will maximize his potential.

      2. Grant Cohn January 24, 2017 at 4:42 pm
        “I think Kyle would be a big loss.”

        Conditional.
        —————-
        “Atlanta coach Dan Quinn made an announcement to coaches that Shanahan would be the 49ers’ next coach, Mike Silver of the NFL Network reported Wednesday, adding everyone in the room was “super supportive.””

        That doesn’t sound very conditional.

        1. Nope it sounds like the team and Shanahan already have a deal in place that simply can’t be announced until NFL rules allow it.

          The main problem with this theory is that it relies solely on Arthur Blank agreeing with you and your father about the current state of this organization and that he would have the motivation to block him that you think he would. Blank has zero reason to have an anti-Jed York agenda like you and many others in the local media clearly do. You might try and say that it’s about the team but it’s not. This is about how you and others think of Jed York but billionaires don’t see other billionaires like you and your father do. Blank would never say any of these things because there is no way that he actually believes any of them:

          “I hear you’ve told the 49ers you’ll be their head coach,” I’d say. “I’m asking you to change your mind. You can do better, Kyle. Stay here one more year.

          “If you go to the 49ers, you won’t have Matt Ryan. You won’t have Julio Jones. You won’t have All-Pro center Alex Mack. You won’t have a quality defensive coordinator. But, you will have a terrible front office. You’ll be totally on your own. You’ll win four games next season if you’re lucky, and five games the season after that.

          “The 49ers are beneath you, Kyle. You’ll have better opportunities in 2018. That’s when the Colts probably will fire their head coach, Chuck Pagano. You could replace him and inherit Andrew Luck. Doesn’t that sound better than inheriting Colin Kaepernick or whomever the 49ers get to play quarterback next year?”

          You honestly believe a billionaire not only thinks that way but would have that conversation? That’s exactly what Tim Kawakami would say to Kyle Shanahan, that’s not what an NFL owner is going to say to his beloved OC that is excited about his first head coaching opportunity with a long storied NFL franchise. This part kills me”You’ll be totally on your own. You’ll win four games next season if you’re lucky, and five games the season after that.” Wow, what a super supportive guy. If I’m Shanahan, now I take the 49ers job just to show how wrong this old fart is about me and my ability to turn that team around.

          Let me ask you this; if your father was Arthur Blank and you were Kyle Shanahan would he sh*t all over your big promotion because he thought you you’d fail at it and that you’d have better chances later on?

  24. You should be writing Harlequin Romance novels. There is a better chance Shanahan gets struck by a meteor. No offensive coordinator gets 5 mil. None.

      1. There is a difference between can and will.

        And if you are Shanahan you have to think what happens to my value if I stay and Ryan gets lost for the season in game 6 and we don’t make the playoffs. He will sign with the 49ers for 6 or 7 mil – 5 years.

    1. I recently mocked Engram to the 49ers. He will make a great slot WR in the NFL.

  25. Grant, put down the crack pipe! Shanahan knows that there is NO GUARANTEE that the Falcons will repeat their success. They were poised for big things in 2013, remember? And then the bottom fell out. The Panthers…anybody want their coaches now??? Shanahan is sitting on a Royal Flush: the 49ers desperately want him, he is going to have A LOT of control, he can be instrumental in rebuilding the 49ers and might even sway their decision on the next GM, SF will be playing a last place schedule, the 49ers will be picking at no. 2, no. 34, no. 66, and no. 102 just to start, plus there’s always at least ONE team that wants to jump up and get that “last piece”, i.e. DRAFT PICKS! If the Browns pass on Miles Garrett, 30 other teams will be calling the 49ers within seconds. Kyle Shanahan needs to go ALL IN while he has a winning hand. Folding now would be STUPID.

    1. I think Grant knows there is no guarantee. I personally think his column was about money. Even though there is no guarantee, Blank would be willing to pay handsomely to take a chance. So they can sell out that new stadium. If money is a factor Kyle might go. But If money and power and writing his own legacy is the driving force, he will jump at the chance to build something. If he fails in San Francisco, he will definitely get another chance somewhere else.

    1. Getting tired of those who think Shanny is a done deal for the 49ers.

      If this doesn’t undermine some of your smugness, then your news reading skills are suspect.

      I remember Mike Silver claiming that Brian Gutekunst was a lock…Well guess what. Silver was W-R-0-N-G !

      Something’s turning them off, and it’s up to the press to find out, since we fans can’t.

  26. Well, the Falcons could hire Seb after Shanahan departs–and for less money too. Seb is simply brilliant when it comes to offensive football. Jed is a fool to pass on Seb–Atlanta’s gain.

    1. Did you notice how some teams foolishly wasted time outs, then did not have them during the last 2 minutes, or have one to challenge with?

      Why, it may have cost them the victory….

    2. Well, KS has Ryan playing like I would like Kaep to be utilized. Roll outs to utilize his mobility. Having safety valve dump off passes. Getting the ball into his playmaker’s hands. Jones was so open, it looked like he was uncovered.

      Of course, with Kaep, he would have skipped into the end zone instead of stumbling in like Ryan did.

      Sure was nice to see crisp efficient and effective offensive implementation.

  27. Seb turned Jed down once already for dissing Kap. In this way he’s gained McDaniels-like stature.

  28. Arthur Blank –

    “That’s what happens in the league. So when you have coordinators who get to that level and prove themselves, you prepare for that. That’s one of the prices that comes with success.”

    “The great coaches in the league, whether it’s Bill Belichick or Mike Tomlin or Andy Reid or Bill Parcells, they’ve groomed coaches but they found ways to bring up other people behind.”

    http://jeffschultz.blog.myajc.com/2017/01/18/shanahan-likely-to-take-49ers-job-blank-spoke-to-49ers-owner-york/

      1. Grant,
        You keep trying to grind this ax. Kyle Shanahan is by all intents and purpose the 49ers head coach. This time last week I would have been more inclined to agree with your take, but given the fact that the 49er FO wants KS to sit in on their potential GM hires tells me that there is a gentleman’s agreement on the table and the official signing will take place right after the superbowl.
        I expect the 49ers and Shanahan to ink the deal the Monday after the game.

        It wouldn’t surprise me if Shanahan is given permission to attend the Senior Bowl practices this week to survey a potential 49er draft picks.
        As I said a few weeks ago, the positives about the 49ers gig is the opportunity to coach a storied franchise and the opportunity to continue to receive a guaranteed paycheck even if he fails.

  29. Just when I thought Grant had returned to the dour depths, he writes a winner like this.

    Look, the NFL et al hates the Yorks.

    For a lot of reasons. Do some research. Shanahan would be unwise to come here. The Yorks are going nowhere and the team won’t either as long as they are the owners. By holding Jed hostage until after the Super Bowl, the Falcons stick a knife into the heart of the Niner organization. Most of the decent candidates have fled. That means assistant coaches have been snapped up as well. At least the good ones.

    The team will end up with the two Toms and go 6-10 and Jed will call that progress. Watch…

    1. Someone mentioned a “last place schedule…”

      The Niners will never play a schedule like that. The NFL always sticks it to the team. The Yorks are radioactive to the rest of the league owners. Look at the last two years’ schedules.

      Wonder why?

  30. Glad to hear that the Niners will not raise ticket prices.

    Maybe they should lower prices.

    Definitely, they should lower beer prices to 5 bucks.

  31. So I’m on the bandwagon. I believe Kyle Shannahan will come here because he’s not a coward. He’s not gonna tuck his tail between his legs and run and say, nobody wants to come here, he’s not gonna say, nobody wants to work for Jed. He’s going to come here nail down all aspects of this franchise. And he’s going to do it in his vision. Whoever the gm is will see the same vision as him. It’s not going to happen in one year. It’s going to take a team effort for years. Just imagine if Trent Balkee would have worked with harbaugh instead of alienating him. We wouldn’t be in this position. So I’m not gonna negative Nancy this thing. I’m all in. If I’m wrong I’ll go George’s route n clown avatar. But when I’m right, I can’t wait to see, and read all the comments of the people who were completely wrong in their assessment. I’m not talking about the ones who are giving opinions, I’m talking about the ones seriously stating what they want as fact. That Kyle Shannahan will not come here. You guys know who you are.

    1. Steele, I admire your fandom, and I too, am hoping they succeed.

      However, I hope you will not be too crushed when Jed gets rejected once more. If Irsay hires Paton, all bets are off.

      1. Seb it’s not fandom. I was the only one on the Balkee train, but when I looked at how he was handling this organization I came unglued. He wrecked it. He did, not Jed. But that being said, Jed helped because he chose balkee over harbaugh. He didn’t step in and try to pull them together. He just went with balkee for whatever reason. Now he’s out to make things right. He’s not trying to make football decisions, he’s not trying to build a team, he’s trying to get 2 guys in here that can actually do that as a team. I’m optimistic about his plan. It’s not fandom it’s optimism.

        1. Steele, please excuse me for not jumping on the- Jed is the answer- bandwagon. Personally, I think he is more part of the problem than he is part of the solution.

          I will still hope that he grows up, but am not holding my breath.

      1. Yeah, real good post Steele. It’s not Jed fandom just a hard headed look at the situation. Right or wrong, bad decisions or good, Niner fans need to reconcile *their* fandom of the team and it’s owner as he is not going anywhere for a long, long time. I’m more impressed that Jed didn’t panic this time and do the quick hire like all other coach-less teams did this go around.

  32. Apparently, Eliot Wolfe is interested in the Colts GM position.

    A WCO disciple, Wolfe would then seek permission from Jim Irsay to fire Chuck Pagano then hire Kyle Shanahan !

      1. I document what I print, feel free to read the Indy Star posted below and the ongoing Wolfe interest, coffee.

        1. And Coffee,

          This is not over by a long shot. You like to shoot from the hip, hoping to hit your target.

          Arthur Blank is cool, calm and collected. The worst possible adversary Jed faces with time on his hands.

        2. Feel free to post a link that says Green Bay has given permission or Wolf has shown interest in the position? Not speculation but a quote from the actual party.

          Irsay has asked lots of people so far and watch how most of them are going to be denied. Is it really so hard to spell his name right?

          1. I can understand how you might feel that way, but to me, he defines troll. At least Sebbie is the Vicar of Verbosity!

  33. Oh no! Little Shanny may stay in Atlanta or be lured to Indy! The humanity!

    Dang some folks need to loosen up the tinfoil hats.

  34. CSN 49ers News ‏@CSN49ers 7m7 minutes ago
    More
    York expects to fill 49ers’ coach, GM positions shortly after Super Bowl http://dlvr.it/NBr8zH
    ————–
    Was hoping to get the GM hire shortly after this Saturday’s interview but oh well. :)

  35. Now if it was Eddie D instead of Blank, the pitch would be … Kyle, this briefcase has five million bucks in it all in unmarked 50s … I’m going to the head right now and when I come back, I’ll have amnesia about whatever wad on my desk … capisce?

  36. I still say Plan B … if kyle tanks … offer JH a small part of the team and a ten year no cut/no fire contract to be HC and GM.

    1. Nope, sorry, no, Non, Nein, nyet, eyeh.

      JH would never ever ever work for Jed again. Remember?, he does not think Jed is a man, just a spoiled little boy.

    1. Yep, and we’ve got nearly two more weeks of this melodramatic madness.
      How about we all just relax and see what happens on February 6th?

    1. Thanks mid Switzer and Kupp are two guys I like a lot,Webb is interesting but I confess the QB I’ll be focused on is Peterman.

  37. Another one of those ridiulous pics of 3 white dudes in suits toting the rock. And yet the most important piece of this puzzle, the one that actually touches the ball is a QB of which this team does not have one unless maybe Thad what’s his name comes back or Kaep will re-sign for 2mill after getting cut…great, thanks Trent….

    1. I like Tanoh. He reminds me of an old Los Angeles Rams player named Fred Dryer. Tall, lean with natural strength and non-stop motor.
      If he’s available in the 3rd – 4th he might become one of the steals of the draft.

  38. Just looking at a lot of draft boards it seems several pundits have the niners taking Trubisky at 2. I don’t agree with or like this pick however I do have a question for the board.

    If you could have Garapolo, Cousins or Trubisky as your qb and draft pics were not a consideration which would you choose?

    1. Trubisky.
      Cousins has likely reached his ceiling.
      Garapolo might be good because of the system he’s in. Didn’t the rookie Brissett even look good for a couple of games at the start of the season?

      1. Interesting observation.
        Cousins is by far the hardest read for me. He has played pretty well with 2 different chordinators now but I can’t help but wonder if he is one of those qb’s that is good to have but shouldn’t ever expect to lead you to the promised land ala Alex Smith.

        1. Cousins has far surpassed Alex Smith level play Shoup. I get that there is a question on how far he can take a team, but he has lit it up in that offense for two years now and certainly wasn’t the reason they didn’t make the playoffs this season.

      1. Seb,
        I admire your commitment to Kaep. But Shanahan would be crazy to pin his hopes on Kap going forward. This team does not need a tune-up – it needs an overhaul. And I personally believe that the first place to start is with the QB.

        I would rather see KS take his lumps with a young QB that can be pliable and groomed to his liking, than a QB that is inconsistent and has not shown improvement in his mechanics to move the team forward.

        When I see video of Trubisky, I see some similarities to Matt Ryan. Pocket presence, accuracy, ability to read defense and the quick release every QB needs to have these days because of faster D-lineman and LB’s honing in on them.
        If KS keeps the second pick in the draft I see him going with Trubisky.

        I now view Trubisky as the top QB for a Kyle Shanahan led team. I would have gone with Watson if Chip was still here but that no longer applies.
        Kizer has been mentioned, but after watching Kizer’ follow through on his passes, I’m convinced that he won’t have longevity in the NFL. Planting himself on one leg after he throws the ball can lead to a myriad of injuries. He is RGIII 2.0 waiting to happen.

        Mahomes is still my dark-horse but not until rd 2-3 and my long-shot is Davis Webb from our backyard at Cal.

        1. AES, I think KS is smart enough to utilize Kaep properly, and look forward to the initial PC (if it happens) when he declares that he relishes challenges, and Kaep will be his biggest challenge to date.

          Still, I think the Niners should draft a QB. I like Cooper Rush. Both Mahomes and Davis Webb would also be good later round choices.

          1. Doesn’t matter what personnel the 49ers have. Shanny Jr has demonstrated the ability to adapt his system to the strengths of his players. Something Kelly was either unable or unwilling to do….

              1. He did it with RG3, but the better question is, do I think he’d want to? Nope. Full Shanny didn’t want RG3, that’s why they took Cousins late. I think they’ll do the same thing if they can get Kaaya or Kelly late….

          2. Seb,
            What exactly is “using Kaep properly” mean?
            I believe that you have always wanted the coaches to roll Kaep out of the pocket to throw on the run. But this only limits him to using only one side of the field and his penchant for rolling to his right in order to throw causes the defense stack that side of the field.

            With the defense converging to one side of the field Kaep would need to be consistently accurate which as we know all too well is not a strong suit in his game.

            Harbaugh did Kaep a huge favor when he tried to make him a pocket quarterback. A former QB himself, JH knew that CK’ style would quickly be dismantled by D-Cords after a couple of years in the league.
            And I believe that Kaep took JH’ attempt to change his style seriously when he went to EXOS for some tutelage under Kurt Warner.
            Unfortunately, 3 years later Kap has not improved. And the problem I have as a 49er faithful is that I can only compare Kap to the bar he set in 2012-2013 – and he has fallen far short.

            Shanahan will have too much on his plate as a 49er HC. The last thing he needs is to be using the same time and energy in trying to revitalize a 5 yr QB that will never be a relevant NFL QB. I’d rather have our new HC pour his energy into a rookie QB that can grow at his craft.

        2. Good points AES, listening to Steve young for several years and reading books and magazines, there are three huge traits you need to have to succeed in a Mike/Kyle S. Offence: 1. Very cerebral. 2. Many hours devoted to complicated play book. 3. Being tenacious, like you are going through marine boot camp but you always want more. Matt ryan hated it last year but thrived this year! You so need to be accurate, and ability to look one way and track everything and through to spot you do not look at but have practiced. Also you have good feel! None of these abilities seem to be a strength of Kaep so I would be surprised if he is around if KS is the new head coach.

          1. Kaep is smart, despite what you want to believe. Kaep was smeared about not studying. Chip, Tomsula and JH never complained about his study habits.

            Being tenacious? Did you watch that Rams game? To me, that 4th quarter was the very definition of tenacity. He was down 2 scores and came storming back.He won using his arm and his legs. He willed himself into the end zone for that 2 point play. He sure was not lackadaisical.

      2. Reading comprehension issue?
        If you could have Garapolo, Cousins or Trubisky as your qb and draft pics were not a consideration which would you choose?

        I pose the question because many pundits have argued they might draft Trubisky, or trade for Jimmy G or Kirk Cousins. I am just curious as to who our fans rate the highest regardless of cost.

        1. Yes, I considered those 3, and decided that Kaep was better than all 3.

          One will be signed long term with Washington because Gruden said he would be. One will cost an arm and a leg, and BB will never part with his heir apparent to Brady. The other is an unproven rookie who has not had much experience, so he could be a bust just as much as a success.

          Instead of writing all that, I just cut down on the verbiage and got to my final answer. Some want me to stop writing so much, so I just wanted to be succinct. kaep says it all.

        2. Shoup,

          That’s an easy question to answer. Only one of those QB’s has shown he can play at a high level over an extended body of work. Cousins would be the guy for me without any hesitation if picks weren’t involved.

  39. Wow. Look at the ****storm an obvious fact causes. Nothing is in the bag; and with Yorkie, I’d demand to see it cooked to order and on my plate before reaching for the wallet.

    Santa Clara Forty-Niners are nothing like the 2013 San Francisci team.

    1. Everyone complains about Santa Clara, but reality is SF was not going to have a football stadium built after the Debartalo effort failed. Further this team would be in LA or Vegas if not for Santa Clara.

      1. Yeah, Jed threatened an LA move when the stadium vote was approaching. I was kinda pist about it at the time. I’m not sure how others would react, but if junior had moved to LA I would’ve jumped ship.

        1. The 9ers could have stayed and built a new stadium in SF. Both the Gaints and Warriors have have done so, with smart owners and classy organizations.
          The Yorks are toxic , not only screwing cities of SF/SC but the fans as well.

          1. Hacksaw,
            I’m no fan of the York family but there was no way they were building a stadium in SF as long as Gavin Newsome was mayor.

          2. Niners should have renovated the Stick. That would have saved Bill Walsh field.

            They should have built a parking structure next to the stadium, and fixed the freeway access.

            That all could have been done for a fraction of the cost of building a new mausoleum.

          1. August to January is White Shark season here, so let’s pick our shots to walk the plank!
            ; >)

  40. I think there are multiple ways 49ers attempt to sign Shanahan could go sideways. I am not so sure Falcons owner throwing a boatload of money at Shanahan for one season is very likely. Why would he do that? To sell tix in the new stadium?? I suppose. But do you really think any potential season ticket holder or advertiser is going to say, hmm, I could get tickets to the Super Bowl winning/Participant Falcons but nah, they lost their offensive coordinator. Also I would assume since they begin play in the new facility next year that most tickets have already been sold, and most is advertising already in place… So, although I believe the signing is not a done deal by far, I don’t believe it will be because the owner throws money at the OC just to sell tickets… More likely it will be because Shanahan himself gets cold feet or sees better opportunities and is willing to risk waiting..

    1. Another slap in the face to Jed. Ballard will interview for the Colts, but declined the Niners.

      1. I am easily siding with Razor on this. Ballard could very well be a great GM sometime in the very near future, but wants Tom Cable as his coach, and that is a deal-breaker quite honestly.

        1. I never saw his preferences, but it was the Seahawk candidates who wanted Cable, mostly. IICRC.

    2. 4 candidates who turned down Jed/Paraag are now interviewing with the Colts.

      Seattle’s Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer, Kansas City’s Chris Ballard, and Green Bay’s Eliot Wolf

      1. The only one that didn’t interview with the Niners is Ballard. It’s disappointing that he didn’t agree to talk to the Niners, but the others on the list all did. I can see why the Colt job could be more attractive to a potential GM, but I still like that the Niners put the emphasis on securing the best HC as the top priority. Ballard was rumored to want Cable as HC I believe.

  41. This all hinges on KS sign him and all is well from a PRO standpoint. Fail that and there is no way to put lipstick on this pig ?

          1. I don’t think money is an issue. He’ll likely get a 5 year deal from SF in the 6-7 mill per range. The reason he is going to take the job is to become a HC who can build the team the way he wants. Atlanta can’t offer that.

              1. Only if he fails spectacularly, ala Kelly. If he pulls a Chip-like performance here he deserves to be dumped.

            1. That’s roughly $3 million a year after CA taxes. Shanahan would get a 5-year deal next year, too.

            2. Rocket

              I agree with you….No one besides the niners can offer what they can…a ‘virgin’ opportunity to build a team to your own specs and tell the rest to kiss your grits….as you said,he’s likely to get plenty of time and money to get the job done….But, then there was ‘Chip’….

  42. Assuming a scenario like this actually plays out, Shanahan might take into consideration that the Colts, with a new GM, might have a good year and won’t be looking for a new coach and if they or and other team were looking for a coach next off season, Josh McDaniels probably would be the number 1 or 1B choice. Also their is a possibility that Shanahan might not be in the same position as he’s in now if the Falcons (Falcon offense) have a let down, or ………………….. and decide that he has a great opportunity that includes selection of a GM, possibly input and/or control of the draft and roster along with a long and rich contract so he might think that a bird in hand is better than…….

  43. What it comes down to, is that it is a business, and they will make business decisions. If the Colts situation is more attractive, KS will go there. I hope no one on this blog is delusional enough to claim that the Colts situation is more toxic than the Niners.

    Irsay may be a piece of work, but at least he gave his GM several years to get it right, and has kept Pagano. Jed, on the other hand, behaves like an entitled prince and plays musical chairs with his coaches. His MO is leaking smears and lies, to try and affect the outcome, but just ends up making things worse. Ballard and Caserio were right.

    Many here claim the Niners have no QB, so Luck is a way better option.

    The Colts are in a relatively weak division, so the HC has an opportunity to win the division. Seahawks just need to fix their O line, the Cards defense is stout, and McVay may become the HC that Jed should have signed, because if he can get decent QB play out of Goff, the Rams will be a formidable opponent with their defensive line and Gurley.

    So Jed, while counseling patience, is just slowly twisting in the wind. It was interesting to see Denise take part in the interview process. Jed must have decided on Cable, so she interviewed Cable for an hour, and the end result was Cable withdrawing.

    Denise should make another intervention, to save Jed from himself. She should send Jed to his cabana, tell him to stand in the corner, promote Gamble, hire back Chip and spare Jed any further humiliation.

    Denise should get on her jet, fly to Tomsula, apologize for Jed’s immaturity, and ask him back as the DC. Then she should get all of them in the same room, and tell them to work things out for the good of the team. She would save millions by doing that, and spare Jed the agony of losing KS to a better opportunity.

    She must do that before the end of the SB, because as sure as God made little green apples, Jed will be rejected again. the Niners will be further humiliated, and people will start pitying them.

    1. “At least he has e his gm several years to get it right”… Seb, he gave balkee 6 years and he destroyed it.. You gotta come better than that.

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