The 49ers paid Pierre Garçon very handsomely. The 31-year-old received a five-year, $47 million deal, with $20 million guaranteed.
But in a 1-on-1 interview with KNBR.com reporter Kevin Jones, Garçon said there was only one main reason he didn’t field any other meetings — a rarity for any NFL free agent.
Kyle Shanahan.
“I was just waiting,” Garçon said in the locker room Friday. “I didn’t take no meetings. It was just waiting to actually call my agent. My agent filtered through everybody else. Once we got to where we wanted to be at (money wise), it was like, alright, let’s get it going.
“I was happy about it, happy for (Kyle) personally as a friend. Not as a coach, just to see it grow. You’re happy when you see things grow, instead of already being at the top. … Kyle is the No. 1 reason I went to D.C., Kyle is the No. 1 reason I came here.”
Peter King of MMQB.com had a story this weekend that said new 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk turned down more money from another team for the opportunity to come and play with Shanahan. The respect the new head coach commands has become this franchise’s top recruiting tool in free agency.
In 2013, Garçon set a Redskins franchise record with 113 receptions under Shanahan’s guidance. During this press conference Friday, Garcon expanded a little further about Shanahan.
“In football, one year can turn everything around,” Garçon said. “We’ve done that in D.C. when I went to D.C. when Kyle brought me in. If we put our nose to the ground and just grind and play every day, I know things can turn around. Looking forward to help build something instead of being a part of something that’s already winning. So, I enjoy working hard, working for every victory and working for every play and gaining every yard I can after every catch. So, that’s what I enjoy doing and nowhere better to be than with a coach that wants you and a team that wants to win in a city that wants to win, especially with the fans too.”
Check out The Kevin Jones podcast below for more of this interview, and two other brief 1-on-1’s with new quarterback Brian Hoyer and tight end Logan Paulsen.