It's pretty safe to assume that Kyle Shanahan's father, longtime NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, has had at least some influence on the quarterback evaluation process leading up to next week's draft. Maybe even a significant influence. Ultimately, it will be Kyle Shanahan's decision, with input from his father, general manager John Lynch, and other team personnel.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic recently answered questions from fans and was asked about Mike Shanahan's influence on the San Francisco 49ers' looming decision.
"Put it this way: Earlier this month, I called Mike to talk about his quarterback philosophy in general and to discuss his 2012 quarterback search in Washington," Barrows responded. "When he called back, the 49ers headquarters phone number registered on my phone. He was calling from Kyle's office."
Who knows how much time the elder Shanahan has been spending inside the team's headquarters? Mike Shanahan still spends much of his free time reviewing game film and has weekly calls with his son to talk football. Kyle Shanahan's offense is heavily influenced by his father's, so it's safe to assume that Mike Shanahan's opinions remain highly valued by everyone inside the building.
Mike Shanahan won three Super Bowls during his time as a coach. One was as San Francisco's offensive coordinator, winning with Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young. He went on to win two more Super Bowls as the Denver Broncos' head coach with another Hall of Famer in John Elway.
Mike Shanahan being in the building during the crucial evaluation process could be telling.
"I don't think he was there to drop off cookies," Barrows continued. "... So, I suspect he's one of the people with heavy input on this decision."
While the retired coach didn't offer any hints on the 49ers' current quarterback search, Barrows did reach out to four agents and sources to get their opinions on who the team might select at No. 3 overall. All four picked quarterback Justin Fields of Ohio State.