Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced this week that the San Francisco 49ers were promoting assistant coach Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator. However, according to one report, this decision may have violated NFL rules.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that the NFL requires teams to conduct an open search for offensive coordinator positions. There is no indication that the 49ers followed this protocol, meaning the team may now be obligated to comply with the requirement.
Despite 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan saying this week he would name Klay Kubiak the offensive coordinator, NFL rules do not permit that. Source tells @NFLonCBS the team will do an open search for their OC position.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 11, 2025
This development adds to the growing list of vacancies on Shanahan's staff. The team previously announced that Nick Sorensen would not return as defensive coordinator in 2025, though Shanahan hopes to retain him in another role. Additionally, the 49ers parted ways with special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, creating yet another opening.
If Jones' report is accurate, the 49ers must conduct formal interviews for the offensive coordinator position before officially naming Kubiak—or any other candidate—as the replacement.
Kubiak notably took over play-calling duties during the 49ers' Week 18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. It marked the first time Shanahan relinquished play-calling responsibilities during a regular-season game as head coach.
"Klay's done as much as anyone on offense for these last two years," Shanahan said this week. "So, this was his second year doing that, and he gets better and better each year at it. Just hasn't had the official title yet. And now he'll get the official title, which he more than deserves, but it's more about recognizing what he's already been doing, and doing at a high level."