The NFL head coach cycle continues, with some jobs filling up while others appear to be in the final stages of hiring. Nonetheless, one person who now feels he wants to wait on being a potential head coach is San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
On Jan. 24, The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini reported, citing sources, that Kubiak intends to remain in the Bay Area with the Niners, despite his name appearing on a couple of teams’ radars as a potential head coach.
“49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has removed himself from consideration for head coaching vacancies, per sources,” Russini wrote on X. “The Raiders and Steelers had requested to interview him. He prefers to keep working with Kyle Shanahan.”
Moreover, with Kubiak staying in San Francisco, the Pittsburgh Steelers went in a different direction with their head coach hire. On Jan. 24, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers plan to hire former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy as their head coach.
The Niners Urged to Upgrade O-Line This Offseason
With Kubiak in the fold, the 49ers will need to improve their offense this offseason. Former Niners quarterback Steve Young said the biggest issue that stood out was the offensive line. Young believes strengthening that group would help the 49ers get the most out of Brock Purdy.
“Well, every quarterback needs an offensive line, and they’ve got to be Top 10,” Young Said during a Jan. 22 appearance on KNBR. “With Trent [Williams] in the game, are they Top 10? I’d say it comes and goes. I thought they had some great games this year, but we need to get back to the 2019 offensive line, where we’re the best in the league [or] Top 3.”
Moreover, the Niners need to improve their weapons around Purdy. Christian McCaffrey is one of the few players that the signal-caller leaned on this past season. McCaffrey had 311 carries for 1,202 yards and scored 17 touchdowns in 17 games this season, per StatMuse.
As a result, Young doesn’t want the 49ers to lean heavily on McCaffrey next season.
“We don’t need speed as much as other squads because we have a lot of tactics,” Young added. “But it can’t be the Christian McCaffrey show. We know that. That’s asking too much of Christian, way too much of Christian. I think it affects Christian’s running game. I don’t think we get the full measure of Christian as a runner when he has to do six other things.”
49ers Could Lose Jauan Jennings This Offseason
Although Kubiak is reportedly staying, one person with an uncertain future with the 49ers is wideout Jauan Jennings. This past season, Jennings had 55 catches for 643 yards and scored nine touchdowns in 15 games, per StatMuse.
He turned himself into a reliable target for Purdy with Deebo Samuel moving on and Brandon Aiyuk not playing this 2025 season. Nonetheless, Jennings can test free agency in mid-March and leave the Bay Area.
Still, Purdy wants Jennings to return to the Niners next season.
“I’m extremely hopeful,” Purdy told reporters on Jan. 19 (h/t 95.7 The Game). “He’s my guy and [I] love playing with him and everything that we’ve been through. He’s a war daddy that every time you step out on that field, man, you know you’re going to get your best and get everything from JJ. Obviously, I want my guy back.”
49ers Get Huge News on Klay Kubiak Amid Raiders, Steelers Link