There was a bit of apparent friction within the Mike Shanahan NFL coaching tree on Monday night, starring Mike’s son, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.
After the 49ers lost on a last-second field goal to the Packers on Monday Night Football, the postgame handshake between the younger Shanahan and Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur was visibly icy. The coaches are former colleagues and both learned under Shanahan the elder.
Rumors that Shanahan and LaFleur’s relationship took a hit after the 49ers pursued Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the offseason were quieted by each coach after the game, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I was just pissed about the game,” Shanahan said. “Ended on the last play. I wasn’t trying to hang out too long in the middle of the field.”
Said LaFleur: “I’d say you’d have to ask Kyle about that. I know Kyle. He is ultracompetitive. That’s a tough moment for anybody to be in. I’m sure he was ticked off we were able to take the ball down and kick a field goal to win a football game.”
San Francisco Chronicle
I gotta say, Shanahan’s explanation, while simple, makes enough sense to me. That was a wicked loss by San Francisco. They rallied from a 17-0 deficit and took the lead with just 37 seconds remaining, only to see Rodgers drive down the field for the game-winning field goal.
The 49ers are 2-1 now, and though QB Jimmy Garoppolo drove his offense down the field for a late go-ahead touchdown, the game had some clamoring even more for rookie backup QB Trey Lance. That decision is up to Shanahan, so long as he can calm down after that rough loss.
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