San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's future was a major deciding factor in who would become the next head coach in San Francisco, according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole. The 49ers had reportedly narrowed their search down to Mike Shanahan and Chip Kelly before making the decision, and the fact that Shanahan did not want to keep the 49ers expensive quarterback led to the hiring of Kelly, according to Cole.
There was reportedly a lot of momentum for Shanahan, especially with former players like Ronnie Lott and Steve Young calling in on his behalf. The 49ers front office believed that Shanahan wanted to draft a quarterback with the seventh pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and that likely led to his downfall, according to Cole. The 49ers reportedly believe Kaepernick is salvageable next season and can find success in San Francisco.
The 49ers are reportedly expected to interview Buffalo Bills running backs coach and assistant head coach Anthony Lynn for their offensive coordinator position, and that may be just right the move for San Francisco's offense this offseason. The 49ers front office knows that Kaepernick's success will revolve around a strong ground game, and Lynn has been known to lean to a run-first mindset. The 49ers front office seems sold on Kaepernick for their future, and while a run game will dramatically improve his play on the field, he will still need to work on his accuracy and decision making, as those have clearly hurt his success in the NFL.
