Early on Sunday, FOX Sports Jay Glazer reported that Jim Harbaugh would coach through this season, and even if he won a Super Bowl, he would not be back in 2015. Jed York had a chance to address the report on Monday during an interview with Rich Eisen. York said the report was categorically not true.
Rich Eisen has a new show on DirecTV that is allow supposed to stream through the NFL Now app. It was not working on the NFL Now app, so here are a collection of his comments about Coach Harbaugh:
Jed York on Jay Glazer’s report: "That’s categorically not true. Jim’s our coach."
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) October 6, 2014
York: "Every coach will move on at some point and I don’t think Jim is at that point. We’ve had a great relationship here."
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) October 6, 2014
"There are some people that don't like if everybody in the room doesn't like them. Jim isn't one of those people." -@JedYork
— Dr. Gonzo (@49ersInYoPocket) October 6, 2014
York says Harbaugh "sometimes rubs people wrong way. But he has an amazing way to pull people together and find ways to win football games"
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) October 6, 2014
"I would like nothing else but to be in the worst possible negotiating position with Jim." - @JedYork on @RichEisenShow
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) October 6, 2014
Fooch's Update: Cam Inman has a few more quotations from the interview
On the one hand, I don't think anyone would expect Jed York to confirm Jay Glazer's report. And really with no sources and all speculation, Glazer's report could be accurate, and we'll never know for certain, even if the 49ers have parted ways with Harbaugh after the season. We're talking about all sorts of blind items. If you are inclined to believe Jay Glazer, so be it, but with no real smoking gun on any of this, nothing will be known with certainty.
For now, Glazer's report strikes me as a bit of an oversimplification of the matter. Sure, Jim Harbaugh could very well get traded in the offseason. Relationships can go south in a hurry, and as these quotations show us, it is clear this is not a perfect relationship. And that's fine. The 49ers know what they get with Jim Harbaugh, and they are willing to work within those parameters. But to have already decided, he's gone no matter what? That just seems a little too black and white for a situation that involves plenty of shades of grey.
At this point, it's just a matter of getting through the season, and figuring things out from there. I am sure there will be plenty of additional reports about locker room dissension and Jim Harbaugh's future. But at this point, much like Harbaugh and York have tabled negotiations until the offseason, I'm tabling my thoughts on Harbaugh's future until the offseason. I'll continue to keep you updated on the reporting and speculation that pops up, but I now just look at it more out of amusement than taking it overly serious. People have some beef, and there is chatter about it, but if the 49ers keep winning, none of it matters until after the 49ers have brought home Lombardi No. 6.