Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan didn't deny an ESPN report that claimed his strained relationship with owner Dan Snyder almost led him to quit after last season. After the team's fifth straight loss on Sunday, Shanahan's time in Washington appears headed to an end.
"Disillusioned with the way Snyder was running the organization, Shanahan cleaned out his office in advance of last January's wild-card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks and expected to leave the team whenever the season ended, according to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote on Sunday.
"The source said Shanahan had grown tired of the way Snyder empowered (Robert) Griffin (III) and openly esteemed him above all other players. Shanahan didn't blame Griffin but did blame Snyder for creating an atmosphere that Shanahan did not believe was conducive to winning."
The report went on to say Shanahan changed his mind about quitting after Griffin tore his ACL in the Seattle game.
"He believed leaving at that point was no longer an option," Graziano describes his source as saying. "He didn't want the general public, or possibly even his players, to think he left because of Griffin's injury."
The Washington Post also reported a source close to Shanahan as saying the coach considered quitting at the end of last season, although the source didn't specify whether Shanahan ever cleared out his office.
Although Redskins team spokesman Tony Wyllie denied the report, Shanahan didn't.
"It's not the right time or place to talk about my relationship with Dan Snyder," Shanahan said after Sunday's loss, via The Post. "Or it's not the right time and place to talk about something that happened a year ago. I'll get a chance to talk to Dan at the end of the season. I'll give some viewpoints from me, and I'm sure he'll give me his thoughts on what direction we'll go. And so we'll communicate that at the proper time."
Shanahan's future in Washington looks finished. With a contract extension unlikely to come, Shanahan appears headed out the door - either by his own volition or not - after the season concludes.
