Respected NFL analyst Matt Miller wrote via Bleacher Report on Tuesday that there is friction brewing between San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. It is supposedly a difference of opinion so evolved that it might eventually result in a split between the two, per the report, who have been linked together since each signed a six-year deal with the team in 2017.
Shanahan quickly responded to the report via a text message to NBC Sports Bay Area calling the report "Complete bulls--t."
We continue to receive questions on the topic even after the head coach's rebuttal.
While Miller does not seem the type to put his well-established reputation on the line by making things up, several 49ers beat writers have stated that they have never noticed any level of discord or resentment between the team's two decision-makers.
From what I gather, the relationship between Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch remains positive. It sounds like everyone in the organization was surprised about B/R's report today. #49ers
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) April 30, 2019
Lynch and Shanahan always seem in sync during joint and individual press conferences, as was the case following each of the three days of last week's draft. Lynch will often tackle any defensive questions while Shanahan will focus on his specialty, the offense. It is a system that works well for the duo.
Shanahan pushed for the Lynch hire after being contacted by the former television analyst about the job. The two are close enough that their families vacation together, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
"Like I wrote earlier, if there is friction, they're doing an excellent job of concealing it," added Barrows.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area told KNBR on Wednesday morning that Lynch and Shanahan were "pretty much inseparable" at the annual league meetings in March.
"I just have a difficult time believing that there's something there festering that hasn't already been dealt with," Maiocco added. "I can't say that this story isn't true because I don't know. I mean, I'm not around those guys all the time. I just haven't seen anything that points me in that direction.
"And it's also difficult for me to believe that Kyle would be going around complaining about something to other people and not going directly to the source and working out differences in that fashion."
There is little doubt Miller heard something from his sources inside the team. As is often the case in tense situations, like say the NFL Draft, there is always some level of tension as teams adjust to unexpected developments and disagreements on potential selections are (often passionately) discussed. Lynch and Shanahan, however, have always seemed to work their way through such situations together.