In my line of work, I scrutinize every report. Or, at least I did. We remember the days of what seemed like yearly “Coach Watch,” something I do not miss now that the 49ers decided to try this stability thing for a couple of years with Kyle Shanahan.
Except, anyone remember when it was reported Kyle Shanahan wanted to go to Denver first? I do. On a day where he had four interviews with the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Los Angeles Rams, a post from Fooch hit, saying that Shanahan preferred the Denver Broncos. That would have put Shanahan under Broncos GM John Elway. How that would work is anyone’s guess.
Without Kyle Shanahan on the 49ers, that could have meant no John Lynch, no Katie Sowers, no Jimmy Garoppolo, and no George Freaking Kittle.
Well, not much to worry about because for all the concern we had, John Elway threw 49ers fans a bone and hired Vance Joseph. Joseph was a candidate for a time for the 49ers’ own head coaching search. Fans knew who Joseph was due to his defense having a lackluster performance in the AFC Wildcard while he was a defensive coordinator for Miami. When they found he was part of the candidate pool, those comments on Niners Nation did not go over well.
Joseph lasted two years before getting canned by the Broncos. They then went on to hire Vic Fangio and turned in another losing season in 2019.
Meanwhile, the 49ers had Kyle Shanahan not only build a championship-caliber team with Lynch’s help but also take that team to the Super Bowl. Think of what he could have done in Denver. If Shanahan went to Denver, we might be singing a different tune. Instead, the 49ers are on the cusp of returning to the good ole days, and the Broncos are picking 15th in the draft with a 7-9 record.
It’s not too bad. There were also reports the 49ers wanted New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. I warned if the 49ers grabbed McDaniels, the west coast offense wouldn’t be waiting for him (a stupid red flag, but I’m a nostalgia bean)
Thank John Elway, everyone.