They might not be on the “hot seat” but it’s hard to argue that whatever Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are sitting on isn’t a helluva lot warmer than it was two months ago.
Somehow San Francisco’s loss to the Cardinals last week looks even worse this week, with that same Arizona team getting blown out by the Panthers at home on Sunday. Up next for the 49ers is Monday night’s matchup vs. the Rams, who are 7-2, favored by more than a field goal and are in position to smash San Francisco’s already far-fetched playoff hopes.
As 2021 begins to feel more an more like a lost season, the notion that Shanahan and Lynch will be in Santa Clara for the foreseeable future begins to cloud. But is it really time to press the panic button?
Not so fast according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who said that despite the unexpected struggles, there isn’t any buzz that either Lynch or Shanahan could be on their way out any time soon.
“It’s weird to even talk about the Kyle [Shanahan]-John Lynch trajectory because they are under contract I believe through 2025, which is a long time,” Rapoport told Murph & Mac on KNBR Monday. “Obviously this year has not gone great. The final story hasn’t been written so we’ll see. I haven’t got any sense that either of these guys is in trouble. I don’t know, I just haven’t.
“I would say there will maybe be some discussion but if there are, it’s going to be discussion about how their future is secure.”
Owner Jed York went through a wild stretch of hiring and firing coaches before he landed on Shanahan and then Lynch in early 2017. York made a commitment to both that he would step back and give them time to build. After the 49ers made the Super Bowl two years later, he doubled-down and gave them each extensions lasting through the next half decade. The perception seems to be that York won’t walk that back unless he absolutely has to.
One of the things that could prove to be a tipping point is the development of Trey Lance, something that may not begin to start happening in earnest until this season gets even worse.
“To me, a lot of this is about Jimmy [Garoppolo] and what happens,” Rapoport continued. “If the 49ers go out and they lose, it’s ugly. I don’t know how quickly it’s going to be. I know when the microscope turns to the future rather than the present I think we’ll probably see Trey Lance. I just don’t know when that’s going to be. Is it going to be after they lose their eighth game? I don’t know.
“To me how long Jimmy G has, if the struggles continue, is certainly going to be the most relevant and interesting tonight.”
Let’s close on some good news. Rapoport expects the kid, who hasn’t taken a snap since the 49ers played in Arizona on Oct. 10, will actually see the field on Monday.
“I think we’re going to see some Trey Lance packages tonight, that’s what I’d expect.”
Listen to the full interview below. You can listen to every KNBR interview on our podcast page at knbr.com/podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Catch Murph & Mac weekdays from 6 – 10 a.m. on KNBR 104.5 / 680 and streaming live on KNBR.com.