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The San Francisco 49ers have many options in front of them, and trading head coach Kyle Shanahan is a possible way for the team to move forward.
Possible is the key word. San Francisco and general manager John Lynch appear ready to back Shanahan for 2025, but if they could deal him, the Chicago Bears are the most likely candidate. Besides Bears GM Ryan Poles saying a coach trade is on the table, they also have resources to deal.
That’s why SI.com writer Alan Goldsher has proposed a new trade idea that would swap Shanahan for a second-round pick and Chicago WR DJ Moore.
“Kyle Shanahan is an innovative sideline general who has won 70 of his 132 games… Shanahan might welcome a change of scenery, and the Niners would definitely welcome Moore, who would be an ideal replacement for the likely-soon-to-be-waived Deebo Samuel,” Goldsher wrote on January 14.
It would be a sensational swap, to say the least. However, the 49ers would need to have a HC replacement ready and waiting. There are some attractive options, such as Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson, but it would be a major roll of the dice.
Still, the prospect of Moore and WR Brandon Aiyuk lining up together is an attractive one. And the 49ers’ success in the NFL draft under Lynch would bode well for the draft pick.
Shanahan and 49ers Actively Interviewing
The biggest notch against a possible trade is that the 49ers are actively hiring new coaches. The Niners just parted ways with DC Nick Sorensen and special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, and have already interviewed multiple candidates for those positions.
Of the interviewees, the most notable name has to be Robert Saleh. The former San Francisco DC and New York Jets HC is looking for a new job after being fired in New York, and he is apparently the favorite for the DC gig.
“A few people I’ve talked to expect the former Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh to be the favorite to land back in San Francisco to fill their open defensive coordinator position,” ESPN reporter Dan Graziano wrote. “Saleh is also on the Jaguars’ list of head coach interviewees, so one would assume he’d let that situation play out before taking a coordinator job.”
Interviews don’t mean that a change in plans is out of question, but it certainly signals to Shanahan sticking around.
Shanahan Breaks Rules in Hiring Process
When the 49ers began revamping their coaching staff at the end of the season, Shanahan accidentally spoke out of turn. He basically named Klay Kubiak as the team’s next OC, but that was a mistake according to CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Jones.
“Despite San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan saying this week he would name Klay Kubiak the offensive coordinator, NFL rules do not permit that,” Jones wrote on X. “NFL rules do not allow teams to name coaches to previously closed coordinator roles without an open search process. Shanahan said Kubiak has done this job without the title for two years, but rules dictate a search must be done.”
This is in reference to the “Rooney Rule,” which states that NFL teams need to interview at least one minority candidate for a new coaching position. So while it may just be a formality at this point, the Niners have had to delay naming Kubiak the next OC.
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