The San Francisco 49ers understandably did their due diligence this past offseason after Aaron Rodgers asked the Green Bay Packers for a trade. While the two coaches have denied it, the inquiry may have resulted in some tension between Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur and Shanahan have long had a close relationship. On Wednesday, LaFleur was asked if that friendship was impacted by the Niners trying to pry Rodgers away from the Packers several months ago. LaFleur insisted it is not an issue.
“Kyle’s a great friend of mine,” LaFleur said. “I haven’t talked to him in a while. It’s just part of the business, I hold no ill will towards him. … He’s got a responsibility to everybody in that organization if he’s got an opportunity. I don’t hold that against him. That will have no affect on our relationship.”
That doesn’t mean the situation wasn’t awkward. According to NFL Network’s Michael Silver, Shanahan became upset over an exchange he had with LaFleur’s brother, New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, minutes before the start of the NFL Draft. Mike LaFleur reportedly needled Shanahan about his Rodgers trade inquiry, and Shanahan did not take kindly to it.
Here’s how the exchange was described to Silver:
6) The Jets, with the No. 2 pick, were expected to take BYU QB Zach Wilson. Shanahan joked to Saleh and (Mike) LaFleur: "I hope you guys don't take a different QB and cross us up. We haven't looked hard enough at Wilson."…
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) September 23, 2021
7) "What do you mean? You've already got your quarterback," Mike LaFleur replied to Shanahan. "Aaron Rodgers." Shanahan tried to brush it off as a joke, saying, "Hey, tell your brother to call me back. He hasn't returned my calls." LaFleur's response: "Can you blame him?"…
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) September 23, 2021
8) At that point, according to several people familiar with the call, Shanahan got visibly upset and hastily left the room. In his eyes, he had merely done due diligence on behalf of his franchise. But it was clear to all that Matt LaFleur viewed it differently…
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) September 23, 2021
8) At that point, according to several people familiar with the call, Shanahan got visibly upset and hastily left the room. In his eyes, he had merely done due diligence on behalf of his franchise. But it was clear to all that Matt LaFleur viewed it differently…
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) September 23, 2021
Rodgers is from Northern California. There had been rumblings that the 49ers were his top choice when he demanded a trade, so Mike LaFleur (and his brother) may have felt Shanahan and the Niners were toeing the tampering line.
For what it’s worth, Shanahan told “The Rich Eisen Show” after the draft that all he did was call Matt LaFleur and ask if there was any truth to the reports that Rodgers wanted out. LaFleur made it clear that Rodgers was not available, and Shanahan says that was the end of it.
Had it not been for LaFleur stepping in, Rodgers may have ended up playing elsewhere. LaFleur can’t possibly blame Shanahan for seeing if there was an opportunity to acquire one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. But even if the two coaches understood one another, there still may have been some moments of tension while all the drama was unfolding.
