GETTY A San Francisco 49ers helmet on the sidelines during a preseason game.
While the San Francisco 49ers are still playing for something, those out of the playoffs are trying to prepare for next season.
Head coach and general manager jobs have opened up across the NFL, as the infamous “Black Monday” has now passed and has left six head coach positions open and two general manager jobs open.
It’s already been reported that 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is being requested for an interview by the Miami Dolphins, but that’s not the only area that the NFL is recruiting in Santa Clara, California.
According to the NFL’s Albert Breer and Peter Schrager, the Chicago Bears and New York Giants both want to interview 49ers Director of Personnel Ran Carthon. Further, the Giants also want to speak with San Francisco’s assistant general manager, Adam Peters.
The Bears have put in a request to interview 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon for their GM job, per source. Carthon was also requested by the Giants.
Through Carthon and Peters, the 49ers have assembled a roster talented to go 10-7 despite a quarterback battle, and both were also integral in San Francisco’s impressive 2019 regular season and run to the Super Bowl.
Interviews are the earliest stage in this process, but it’s hard to imagine the two members of the 49ers front office won’t be tempted by the prospect of becoming an NFL general manager.
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Carthon & Peters
Before becoming an exec with the 49ers, Carthon played in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions from 2004 to 2006, per the 49ers website. A brief playing career to be sure, but just two years later, the Atlanta Falcons hired him as a pro scout.
He then became the director of player personnel with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams before eventually getting the pro personnel position in San Francisco in 2017. Ahead of the 2021 season, Carthon was promoted to director of personnel.
Peters has also been with the 49ers since 2017, and was initially hired as the vice president of player personnel. Like Carthon, Peters was promoted last offseason to assistant general manager, a position that did not exist beforehand, per Grant Cohn.
Also like Carthon, Peters took multiple interviews last season for general manager jobs, but didn’t land any. Clearly, it appears that the interest in the two members hasn’t died down after the regular season.
Kyle Shanahan Talks Another Potential Exit
Like McDaniel, the 49ers could lose another coordinator in DeMeco Ryans. Ryans was promoted to defensive coordinator after three seasons as the linebackers coach, and San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan knows he could lose him.
When Shanahan was asked by NBC Sports reporter Jennifer Lee Chan about his coordinators’ potential departures, he didn’t hesitate to say he really wants Ryans back.
“I don’t want to lose him yet,” Shanahan said. “So hopefully for my sake and the Niners’ sake they let him get a few more years here but I know he’s ready and I feel the same way about Mike.”
Losing coordinators to head coach openings is never desired, but it would be tough for the 49ers to find a third defensive coordinator in three seasons. After Robert Saleh headed east to the New York Jets in 2021, the 49ers could lose another coordinator just a year after.