Hue Jackson is reportedly the “clear front-runner” for the head coaching job with the San Francisco 49ers, according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.
“The source said that all signs point to the 49ers picking Jackson for their vacancy, as long as the interview goes well, and the 49ers are under the impression that Jackson will accept it,” Kawakami writes.
Jackson is currently the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, who are set to host AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round Saturday night. Should the Bengals lose, then the 49ers could potentially hire Jackson as soon as Sunday after his scheduled interview.
Of course, if the Bengals win, then the 49ers would have to wait until Cincinnati loses to make any official deal with Jackson. That said, a handshake deal could potentially be struck when the two sides meet Sunday, if all goes well on both sides.
Jackson is well-regarded in NFL circles, and his influence had much to do with Andy Dalton’s breakout campaign before his unfortunate injury a few weeks ago.
The big question on 49ers fans’ minds must be whether or not Jackson would be inclined to work with Colin Kaepernick or if he’d prefer the organization move on without him.
Should the latter be the case, then it’s likely general manager Trent Baalke would be looking for a quarterback at the top of the first round. The 49ers are currently slotted at the No. 7 overall spot but could potentially move up, given the wealth of picks at their disposal.
Jackson is an offensive-minded coach who would greatly improve the team’s ability to move the chains and score, regardless of which quarterback is behind center when the season begins.