San Francisco 49ers

Patriots OC Josh McDaniels withdraws from 49ers' head coaching search

Published Jan. 16, 2017 12:07 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

While the New England Patriots prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of Sunday’s AFC Championship game, the San Francisco 49ers are the last remaining team searching for a head coach. And unfortunately for them, one of their top candidates just removed himself from the shortlist of possibilities.

According to FOX Sports NFL Insider Peter Schrager, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has decided to stay in New England and step back from a potential head coaching gig.

https://twitter.com/PSchrags/status/821028334981279750

McDaniels confirmed the news on Monday.

https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/821033467081293824

That likely leaves the 49ers with either Kyle Shanahan and Tom Cable as their remaining candidates. According to ESPN, the 49ers are zeroing in on Shanahan, who’s currently preparing for a conference title game of his own.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/821030455457759233

Cable, the Seahawks’ offensive line coach, is a perplexing candidate. Seattle’s line was atrocious this year, and that was put on full display Saturday against the Falcons. Plus, his stint as the Raiders' head coach didn't go well on the field or off it. There aren’t many viable candidates out there, which elevates Cable a bit, but Shanahan is clearly the top guy for the job.