Earlier this week, rumors began to swirl suggesting that San Francisco 49ers head coach and two-time NFC Champion Kyle Shanahan could end up being traded to another team, according to the New York Post.
49ers general manager John Lynch shut down these hypothetical trade proposals during an interview with KNBR on December 6th, saying, “I sit back, and I try to be focused, but I’ve found the whole discussion on Kyle and some of the stuff rather comical.” He added, “Look, the standard here is to win championships, and we’ve fallen short of that. I understand. But we have an excellent head coach. And the fact people are talking about stuff like that, I do find it comical.”
Shanahan was asked about these trade talks in a postgame press conference after the 49ers’ 38-13 home win over the Chicago Bears. Though he doesn’t outwardly say that the rumors were false, he reaffirmed his commitment to San Francisco.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan on the speculation that another team should trade for him this offseason: “I don’t want to be any place in the world more than here.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 9, 2024
“I mean, I don’t know why they [rumors] come out, but I don’t want to be any place in the world more than here,” Shanahan said. “And, my family feels just as strong, if not a lot stronger. So, I hope you guys are going to have to kick me out of here. There’s no way I’m making that decision.”
These initial rumors stemmed from an idea posed by ProFootballTalk.com owner Mike Florio. While appearing on an episode of The Rich Eisen Show, Florio mentioned the Chicago Bears as a team that could potentially make a trade for Kyle Shanahan.
“I feel like Shanahan and the 49ers are getting close to the point where they would benefit mutually from a fresh start,” Florio said. “If you can get Shanahan and join him at the hip with Caleb Williams, are you kidding me?… There’s nothing specific, but you just look at the situation. It’s been since 2017, they’ve been kind of banging their head against the door trying to knock it down.”
Even though the 49ers have been hit with a slew of injuries this season, they have remained competitive in almost every game they have played. On top of that, they are still in the hunt for the NFC West with four games left in the 2024-25 campaign. Regardless of the results, it doesn’t sound like the 49ers will take the rumors of trading away Kyle Shanahan seriously.
