It's always a a nice, warm story when a father and son team up as coaches and try to make it to the mountaintop. That's how some might have thought when Kyle Shanahan became the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins, joining his father, Mike Shanahan, on the sidelines.Apparently now, the arrangement will be coming to an end.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Kyle has “decided it is no longer worth it to work with his father” and will attempt to blaze his own trail after four years with the Redskins. Shanahan spent two seasons as offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans before joining the 'Skins in 2010.
This latest look into Washington’s implosion came shortly after CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported that many within the organization actually pin much of the blame for this 3-10 season on Kyle Shanahan’s relationships with Mike Shanahan and Robert Griffin III.
Conversations with several people within the organization have revealed a similar perception of Kyle Shanahan as someone who was empowered and enabled by his father, spending an abundance of time in his father's office, given a wide swath of power, and rubbing many people -- players, fellow coaches and members of football operations -- the wrong way. At the same time, Kyle Shanahan has been the most heavily rewarded of the team's assistant coaches, as team sources said the two-year extension Shanahan earned following the playoff run in 2012 will pay him $1.5M in 2014 alone. That's money he's almost certain to collect away from the team, with this regime widely expected to be fired after this season.
“Kyle is the head coach, it's just that no one knows he is,” said one member of the organization. “He gets whatever he wants. And he has no relationship at all with (quarterback Robert Griffin II). So how could it work?”
Although this is a surprise, Kyle wasn't pleased when RGIII was shutdown for the last three games of the season in favor of Kirk Cousins.
Kyle had a decent run in Houston, so it's possible that he could go elsewhere and succeed, but he'll have to do it without any of his father's connections (Gary Kubiak in Houston).
