The San Francisco 49ers had a rollercoaster offseason this time with many players, including Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams sitting out for their contract extensions. Both the players were holding out at least for 40 days. So, it was natural for people, including analysts and fans to think that the 49ers aren’t going to sign them. According to Adam Schefter, “On Thursday, August first, I thought a trade to Cleveland was happening, I was imminent. And then it didn’t get done.” Then again, there were multiple teams coming up for them, which reportedly showed that these players are now losing hope and interest in the Niners, despite the fact that they wanted to remain with the team. Nevertheless, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, who earlier mentioned “I’m hopeful that can happen soon” about Williams and Aiyuk’s contracts, have finally ended their hold-outs. And now, it looks like the 49ers are trying to build on their 2023 legacy, after all, they did reach the Super Bowl. But here’s a twist! Not everyone seems to be on board with these big deals.

The 49ers reporter, Grant Cohn, on his official X account, shared a video of himself with a caption stating, “I’m hearing that the 49ers front office is not pleased with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch.” While explaining this point in a more detailed way, Cohn, in the video, mentioned that a source close to the team revealed that the front office is unhappy with the financial strain caused by the recent big contracts of Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams. He added, “It’s Super Bowl or bust? And if it’s bust, then heads will roll. The Lynch and Shanahan regime is on the hot seat and it’s hotter than ever, Front office, I guess, ownership is upset with Lynch and Shanahan about all the spending that’s happened this off season.”

Cohn clearly expressed that these expensive contracts have impacted on the 49ers’ front office, and hence, it is obvious for them to look for the results. Brandon Aiyuk, which is a four-year, $120 million extension with $76 million in guarantees, the 49ers have locked him in. In addition to Aiyuk, Trent Williams also signed a three-year deal, worth $82.66 million, including $48 million guaranteed. And how can we forget Christian McCaffrey’s 4-year, $62.2 million contract? No doubt, all these extensions have been heavy on the 49ers’ head. So, if the team as a whole, do not perform what is expected of them, they might land in trouble.

Continuing his analysis further, Cohn emphasized, “If this report is true and I have no reason to believe it’s not, the front office, Paraag [Marathe], Jed [York], his parents were maybe hoping that they could spend a little less this offseason if they had won the Super Bowl last year.” Therefore, due to the pressure to maintain the team’s core and push for a Super Bowl win, the 49ers coach and GM made these costly financial decisions this time. And Cohn thinks that despite keeping the same roster intact, they haven’t aggressively improved the team, making the spending even more concerning.

That’s the reason, why the reporter warns Lynch and Shanahan because according to him, the 49ers, if they fall short, especially if they don’t go all the way to win the NFC championships, these two members could be held responsible for it, after the heavy investments. And if this happens, the leadership might change!

Meanwhile, after locking Aiyuk and Williams, the 49ers “has amassed a whopping $49,517,663 in available cap space.” And as per NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, “the 49ers have $50 million in cap space” despite these expensive contracts. So, how come it’s possible? Pelissero answered this by writing, “….thanks largely to a league-high rollover of unused cap from 2023” on his X account. So, that means there might not be any tension in the franchise. But if, in case there is, as Grant Cohn suggested, will the 49ers see the last of Shanahan and Lynch this season?

Could the 49ers really let go Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch after 2024?

There’s a buzz building around the 49ers! Could Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch really be on the hot seat? It seems unlikely, but nothing is impossible. Another 49ers reporter, Tom Jensen, suggested that it’s not impossible, especially if the team falls short of expectations again. Shanahan has been praised for getting the team to two Super Bowls, but his decisions have also been questioned in critical moments.

For instance, this year’s Super Bowl game, where Shanahan’s decision “to call a pass play out of the two-minute warning failed.” In addition to that, it also “allowed the Chiefs to keep an extra timeout in their pocket for the eventual game-tying drive.” Meanwhile, Lynch has struggled earlier with contract negotiations, causing delays in getting players signed. So, if they continue doing this again and again, there might be a possibility that the franchise will let them go.

Now, if it happens, the question will be: “If not Shanahan, then who?” So, names like Jim Tomsula, Ben Johnson, and even Bill Belichick, can come in talks as they all have bright minds, who can take good calls in games. Hence, the pressure is on for the 49ers’ stakeholders! Will they rise or fall?