Falcons win and 49ers will wait until Friday to meet with Kyle Shanahan
Jan 22, 2017 at 3:32 PM
•
The Atlanta Falcons beat the Green Bay Packers 44-21 in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. For the 49ers, that means that they will have to wait until Friday to meet with the man that is very likely to become the team's next head coach – Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Matt Maiocco of
CSN Bay Area reported on Sunday that the 49ers would have to wait to meet with Shanahan because
the early part of the week would be devoted to planning for the Super Bowl. The 49ers' window to meet with Shanahan will close on Sunday, January 29 and the team will have to travel to Atlanta to do so.
Per league rules, the 49ers can meet with Shanahan despite the Falcons still being in postseason contention because the team will enjoy a bye week prior to Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
RELATED Bumps in the Road: 49ers Endure the Rocky Results of the Patient Approach
Shanahan is the last man standing among the 49ers' potential head coach candidates to replace Chip Kelly, who was fired following the team's finale on January 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. However, many believe that Shanahan may have been the best candidate to begin with. While the 49ers cannot make the hiring official until the Falcons have finished with their playoff run,
NFL Network reported that Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn already announced to his staff that Shanahan would be taking the job. The earliest that the 49ers can make the hire now is following the Super Bowl.
The 49ers had hoped to have Shanahan meet with potential general manager candidates in order to find someone that the coordinator would work well with. Right now, Minnesota Vikings assistant general manager George Paton is the reported frontrunner for the job with Arizona Cardinals vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough remaining in play.
Ian Rapoport of
NFL Network reported on Sunday that, should one of the two known candidates not hit it off with Shanahan,
the team would be willing to reopen their search for a general manager. Matt Barrows of the
Sacramento Bee reported that other candidates might include former Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik and former Cleveland Browns general manager and vice president of player personnel Mike Lombardi. Dominik was the Buccaneers' director of pro scouting when Shanahan was an assistant in Tampa Bay. Lombardi, who was also an analyst for
FOX Sports and
NFL Network, was with the Browns when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator there in 2014.
RELATED Silver: York has not decided on who will have power; Mike Shanahan will not join 49ers
Shanahan has only been with the Falcons for two seasons and has already helped guide the team to a Super Bowl – their second in franchise history. Prior to his time in Atlanta, Shanahan held the same position with the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, and Houston Texans. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Washington at the same time that his father, Mike Shanahan, was the head coach. The elder Shanahan is not expected to join the 49ers in an official capacity, per Michael Silver of
NFL Network, as some speculated might happen.
"I'm told that will not happen in a formal role," Silver said on Sunday. "However, owner Jed York views that as a huge positive, that Kyle Shanahan has such a decorated father that he can lean upon for advice as he eases into the head coaching job. And even though Kyle Shanahan is relatively young, he is a nine-year coordinator in this league who has a record of success, which ultimately tipped the scales in his favor."
Under Kyle Shanahan, the Falcons offense was ranked first in scoring, second in total yards, third in passing yards, and fifth in rushing yards during the regular season.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers mailbag: Will Brandon Aiyuk be on the roster on Friday morning? Will SF draft another quarterback?
We're just over 24 hours before round one of the NFL Draft begins. The San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to have their first pick in the opening round since 2021 when they drafted Trey Lance. That didn't turn out well, but there is optimism that the team will be able to make its roster better over the next few days.
GM John Lynch spoke on Monday and said there's a possibility the team could trade out of the first round. I doubt that would go over well with the fanbase, especially since they haven't had a first-rounder in the past two years. But if it's a good trade that lands the 49ers some quality picks, we could see that happen, especially if there aren't any players at pick 31 that the team is excited about.
We opened up the 49ers Webzone Mailbag to see what
Breaking down the 49ers drafts under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan
We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have their first day-one draft pick since 2021. That was the year they selected QB Trey Lance number three overall. The trade-up to get Lance cost the 49ers their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. And now that they are back in the first round, at pick 31, fans are anxious to see what the team does with the pick. And with former assistant GM, Adam Peters, now in Washington, it will be interesting to see how well the 49ers draft without Peters in the room.
We looked back at the seven drafts GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have led to see what information we could pull from those drafts. There were plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and a few surprises along the way. The draft picks are
Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
49ers address both sides of the ball in Kiper and Yates 3-round mock draft
We're just 10 days away from the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. While many gain more confidence about their projections for the top of the first round, the picture of what might happen further down remains murky. Most predict the San Francisco 49ers will use their first selection, No. 31 overall, on an offensive lineman. However, an early run on the position may alter those plans. The 49ers may address another position, or they may have to move up to secure a top prospect.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates recently revealed a joint three-round mock draft, examining the top 100 selections and forecasting
