NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers GM-Coach Friction Shot Down

The San Francisco 49ers have yet to hit paydirt under the watch of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, but their tandem is reportedly not going smoothly. The word out is that both are not seeing eye-to-eye, and the friction could eventually rub off the wrong way for the team.

According to the Bleacher Report, there is friction brewing in the front office between Lynch and Shanahan. Both are not locked in as far as the vision of the offseason and this could very well affect the future of the franchise. Tied up to all of this is the choice on the right personnel to join the 49ers starting with the NFL draft and free agency.

When word of this came out, it was only expected that either would refute the rumors. All is allegedly well from within although rifts can occur in different ways. That includes decision making on who to sign and not. Seeing how both were hired on different dates and were eventually forced to find a way to work together, seeing a falling out of source (if true) hardly comes as a surprise. Usually, the preferred coach would be recommended by the general manager although the case of Lynch and Shanahan is a bit different.

Lynch was hired first on January 29, 2017. Shanahan was still the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons before he officially got on board the 49ers on February 6, 2017. So far, the partnership has produced shown improvement compared to the time of Chip Kelly. From a dismal 2-14 win-loss record, the tandem slightly improved to 6-10 (2017) although it spiraled again in 2018 to 4-12. Through two seasons, the Lynch-Shanahan has produced a 10-22 record and this is not exactly something that will impress top management.

When asked to comment on the report, Shanahan reacted forcefully on the report of Matt Miller, NBC reported. He called the potential breakup BS and this is all backed up by 49ers CEO Jed York who said he has more faith in the duo now than from two years ago.

“I think it’s been interesting to watch these guys really come together and show they’re a stronger bond today than what they were two years ago, and it’s only getting stronger,” York said.

Looking ahead, it will be interesting if this so-called friction dies down as the 49ers prep for yet another NFL season.