49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur know each other well. LaFleur coached with Shanahan in Houston, Washington and Atlanta. That made their brief, seemingly cold post-game handshake after Green Bay’s Week 3 win over San Francisco look a little strange.
Shanahan and LaFleur met at midfield, but the 49ers head coach barely slowed down to shake the opposing coach’s hand before going straight to the locker room. This came after reports surfaced from Mike Silver that there was tension between the two coaches following the 49ers’ offseason pursuit of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.
On Monday Shanahan downplayed any friction between the two coaches and blamed the short handshake on the tough 49ers loss.
“No, Matt’s my guy. Matt and I are totally good,” Shanahan said. “I was pissed after that game because of how that game just ended. That was a tough one. It took a while to get over, but we’re good. I talk to Matt a lot. He’s done a hell of a job this year. I’ve been real happy for him, but that stops this week.”
It’s hard to blame Shanahan for not wanting to spend too much time on the field after that loss. San Francisco took the lead 28-27 with 43 seconds left, but the Packers cruised down into field goal range and kicker Mason Crosby knocked in a 51-yard field goal as time expired to snatch a 30-28 victory.
Whether it was that game, residual offseason drama or both, any beef between Shanahan and LaFleur appears to be squashed for now. That could easily change Sunday though if there’s another nail-biter at Lambeau Field.
