Pelissero says Lynch and Shanahan won’t be fired

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero says there’s no path where John Lynch is fired or Kyle Shanahan is replaced, pointing to a franchise that stays competitive through trades and free agency. In the same stretch of league buzz, the Rams weigh what their offseason move

The talk started with the kind of question that always follows a rough patch: how long is the leash, and who’s really safe.

On the Rich Eisen Show. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero cut through it quickly when the future 49ers GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan came up. “I don’t see a world where John Lynch ever gets fired by the 49ers. Same thing with Kyle Shanahan,” Pelissero said. “They have stabilized that franchise … The 49ers are competitive year after year. They certainly. I think it’s fair to say. have supplemented a lot through trades and at times free agency because they’ve had some misses in the draft.”.

The argument Pelissero made wasn’t built on a promise of perfect evaluation. It was built on results that have kept the franchise in the conversation—competitive year after year—even as the draft hasn’t always delivered.

While the 49ers’ leadership stability drew one side of the conversation, the league’s other teams were busy turning roster decisions into hope before the games even start.

The Rams, for example, came into this offseason with moves designed to strengthen specific spots. Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay pointed to acquiring cornerback Trent McDuffie and signing cornerback Jaylen Watson as part of the team’s free-agency push. He also referenced recently signed linebacker Grant Stuard. saying Stuard will make an impact on their defense despite a background that has been mostly special teams.

“We were able to address some needs in free agency,” McVay said, via RamsWire. “We were able to sign Jaylen Watson and obviously trade for McDuffie. You add a long snapper, you add Grant Stuard, who’s a special teams stud – and he’ll find a way to probably be able to contribute defensively, too.”

That comment carries a familiar NFL logic: when a player has been trusted on special teams, there’s often a belief they can expand their value once they’re given a broader role.

In Seattle, the focus is less about rebuilding big-picture expectations and more about a specific starting job.

Brady Henderson of ESPN reports that Seahawks right guard Anthony Bradford is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Henderson says Bradford will compete against fifth-round guard Beau Stephens for the starting job.

Bradford’s preparation has also been part of the storyline. Henderson writes that Bradford trained with private offensive line coach Duke Manyweather following the season, and he “showed up to Seattle’s offseason program ‘in good shape.’”

Even with the competition, Henderson’s bottom line is straightforward: Bradford “still looks like the favorite to win the job.”

Across the league, the themes aren’t identical—but they rhyme. In San Francisco. Pelissero’s message is that leadership isn’t on shaky ground because the team stays competitive. even when draft hits aren’t guaranteed. In Los Angeles. McVay is leaning on offseason additions—McDuffie. Watson. and Grant Stuard—to translate roster moves into defensive production. And in Seattle. the question is narrower and immediate: who wins the starting guard job. and whether Bradford’s offseason work is enough to hold off Stephens.

John Lynch Kyle Shanahan Tom Pelissero 49ers Trent McDuffie Jaylen Watson Sean McVay Grant Stuard Los Angeles Rams Anthony Bradford Beau Stephens Duke Manyweather Seahawks