Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan went through his round of head-coaching interviews over the weekend and went straight back to work.
He said he has not given those jobs any additional attention, as the Falcons prepare for their NFC divisional-round playoff game Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks.
The 49ers interviewed Shanahan on Friday in Atlanta. He also interviewed with Jacksonville and Denver – two teams that have subsequently filled their head-coaching vacancies. A scheduled interview with the Los Angeles Rams was postponed due to weather conditions that prevented Rams officials from traveling to meet Shanahan.
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When asked Wednesday during his weekly press conference about juggling the interviews with the preparations for a playoff game, Shanahan said he was not at all distracted.
“That was easy,” Shanahan said. “The easiest part is when you get the bye week and you get that extra time off – we got Friday and Saturday off as a coaching staff.
“I just dedicated the two off days to the interviews. I got to do three of them and really haven’t done one thing in that area or talked to anybody in that area since Saturday afternoon.”
Shanahan, 37, said he was not clear on when he is again allowed to speak to teams about any jobs.
San Francisco 49ers
“I’m not even sure exactly what the rules are,” Shanahan said. “I haven’t been too worried about it because it’s not an option for my anyways. We’re totally locked into this game this weekend. There’s really zero else on our minds.”
The 49ers would not be allowed to speak with Shanahan again until the Falcons are eliminated from the playoffs. If Atlanta advances to the Super Bowl, the 49ers could meet with him any time after the NFC Championship through the Sunday preceding the Super Bowl.
Shanahan is considered a strong candidate for the 49ers’ job. He is the son of former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, who won Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos after the 1997 and ’98 seasons. Mike Shanahan interviewed for the 49ers' opening last year when Chip Kelly was hired.
The Falcons, the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, set the franchise record for points scored in a season in the first quarter of their Dec. 19 game against the 49ers. Under Shanahan’s direction. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan had the best season of his nine-year career with 38 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a league-best passer rating of 117.1.