After being pegged as the favorite to land the head coaching gig with the San Francisco 49ers, Josh McDaniels is reportedly bowing out of the contest.
Huge news – Josh McDaniels very unlikely to take the 49ers job. Set to bow out from consideration and remain with the Patriots
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 16, 2017
According to Jason La Canfora, McDaniels doesn’t want to uproot his family (with four young children) by moving across the country.
The 49ers very much interested in McDaniels, but moving across country, taking this opportunity now at age 40 w/young family not likely…
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 16, 2017
This report meshes with what Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Sunday, which is that McDaniels had some concerns about the longevity of taking a job with San Francisco. If he does take it, he’d be the third coach in three years to guide the franchise, which isn’t ideal when considering the emotional toil of uprooting a young family.
This leaves Seattle Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable, who interviewed with San Francisco Sunday, and Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as the two key figures remaining in the search for the 49ers. The team is reportedly very high on Shanahan, but any discussion with him about taking the job will have to wait until the Falcons are no longer competing for a championship.