Garafolo: Kirchner’s decision due to the 49ers’ focus on Shanahan

On Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported that Seahawks co-director of player personnel Trent Kirchner will remain in Seattle. Shortly after the report, made via Twitter, Garafolo appeared on NFL Network to further explain the reasoning behind the decision by Kirchner. Apparently, it had nothing to do with the perceived poor management of the team, but everything to do with who the 49ers are targeting for head coach.

"Now I know a lot of people are looking at this, saying, 'Oh boy, nobody wants a piece of the 49ers because Josh McDaniels pulled out and not Trent Kirchner pulled out of the GM search,'" Garafolo explained. "It's not that. And I've doubled back since I initially broke the news here to get a fuller picture of what happened here and I'm told it was actually a really good interview between Kirchner and the 49ers and also the fact that he didn't sense that this organization was going in the wrong direction. I'm told he actually liked what he heard there.

"The issue is that he is a [Seahawks assistant head coach and offensive line coach] Tom Cable guy and everything right now points toward the 49ers aiming toward hiring [Falcons offensive coordinator] Kyle Shanahan. They just can't make that call right now because Shanahan remains in the postseason.

"I'm also told that Shanahan intends to remain focused on the Falcons and won't make a decision on his coaching future even behind the scenes, even to himself, until he is through with the postseason and can take a full look at the 49ers' situation or if some other one should pop up – but for now, the 49ers situation to see if this is the job that he wants to take and he wants to go forward.

"But for Kirchner, he just couldn't wait at this point and said, 'I've got a really good situation in Seattle. Let me stick here. Let me see this through.' He's got a great working relationship with general manager John Schneider so he decided, 'At this point, let me just secure my future here in Seattle,' and maybe down the line, maybe starting next year, will be available for GM jobs."