NFL Insider Talks the 49ers' Future

I’m not saying the 49ers are going to hit the market in the next 18 months.

But I’m not saying they aren’t, either.

There is serious turmoil and unrest in this ownership group, and there were some fissures and discord even before acting owner Jed York was arrested on prostitution charges back in Ohio this summer.

Numerous NFL personnel execs and individuals who run in ownership circles have been whispering for quite some time about York not being around the team facility as much and there was that odd accident with head coach Kyle Shanahan before training camp and the ongoing battle with former star receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

It’s just a lot.

It’s seemed at times this offseason that there wasn’t a top figure in the organization beyond Shanahan, and it seemed like things might be a little out of control in the organization.

The future of this franchise is the source of considerable chatter around the league. Jed York’s twin sisters, Jenna and Mara York, haven’t been involved in the football operations, and some I spoke to would be surprised if they wanted to take on the role their brother has held.

According to sources who have been in contact with members of the ruling family in San Francisco, coming up with some sort of succession play for York if he isn’t really up for this anymore might get tricky.

Perhaps most telling, longtime top exec Paraag Marathe split in August to focus on the group’s soccer holdings, led by Leeds United.

Marathe was the guiding light in that organization and York’s right-hand man in so many ways and someone who could easily represent the team at mandatory owner’s meetings and be a de facto owner of sorts.

And their rival Seahawks just sold for a record $9.6B.

"It’s pretty ugly inside the family right now," said one former well-known 49er staffer who remains plugged in there.

"They’re scrambling. There was a lot of weird (stuff) going on even before Jed’s arrest."

One NFL general manager told me: "Something is off there. They are slipping."

Indeed, in May, York filed for divorce, the day after Mother’s Day. The couple agreed to joint custody but the status of the filing is still pending sorting out their assets.

The NFL is investigating York’s arrest at a trailer park and will likely dole out some slap on the wrist under the league’s personal-conduct policy (it doesn’t really apply to the owners; they never hold themselves to the standard of players or coaches), but that’s really beside the point.

This feels like a team – and franchise – that is in steep decline after twice losing in the Super Bowl with Shanahan in charge.

The recent drafts have been poor, locker room strife has been high, and the roster skews old in critical spots. The coach has been there a decade now, and that’s forever considering this family had six coaches between 2008-2016, before Shanahan arrived.

"It’s an old team at the premium positions," said one longtime advance scout who watched a lot of NFC West football during Shanahan’s time there. "I don’t really like the roster anymore."

And the NFC West has become arguably the best division in football, with the Rams and Seahawks the favorites in Super Bowl markets.

Getting back to a Super Bowl let alone winning a Lombardi Trophy will be tricky. A football franchise can’t run itself, York’s profile had already gone decidedly quiet prior to the arrest and Marathe leaving is a big void.

It stands to reason that this is the last stand for many of the anchors of these playoff runs – left tackle Trent Williams, tight end George Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey and maybe pass rusher Nick Bosa, too.

Shanahan is a coaching free agent after the 2027 season, and if he saw a window closing after this season, who could blame him for wanting out.

I would throw a dart at the Washington Commanders, by the way, if Shanahan did end up going.

Sticking it out in San Francisco through an ownership change, if it comes to that, would be awkward.

Longtime 49ers exec Adam Peters is running the Commanders, head coach Dan Quinn is going to feel heat if he can’t turn that team around quickly, and Shanahan calling plays for quarterback Jayden Daniels would be dynamic, to say the least.

"If Kyle wanted that job, he would get it", surmised one longtime NFL executive who is keeping a very close eye on potential head coaching openings.

Shanahan ran Washington’s offense previously as the coordinator when his father, Mike, was head coach.

He led Robert Griffin III to a historic rookie season before he got hurt, and those staffs, loaded with future head coaches, are seen as the ones that got away by Commanders fans (Rams head coach Sean McVay was there, too).

It got ugly at the end, but that was due primarily to irksome and meddlesome owner Dan Snyder, who got pushed out of the league for his despicable actions. Snyder is long gone, a new downtown stadium is on the way, and few things would galvanize that fanbase like this offensive whiz coming back to town.

Of course, a lot would have to occur before we got anywhere close to that, but it’s definitely really bad in San Francisco as that team trains in Australia to face the Rams in the kickoff game.

York is already being tested in ways that seemed unfathomable just a few years ago, and people are talking about the future of this franchise.