If Rizzi continues to outperform I think it would be interesting to retain him but on a very very modest contract only. I dont want to get stuck paying him a 5 year guaranteed deal and having to keep him in 2026 if he bombs in 2025. I don't think there will be much competition for him. I don't think we will be the choice of top candidates this year because of our cap and roster situation, if one picks us anyway I think we might doom them for the same reasons, and I see Rizzi as a good rebuild caretaker with some possible upside. No team has ever done it but I dont see why we cannot offer Rizzi a contract where not all the years are guaranteed, allow him to remain with the interim coach title still, or give him a very basic deal like 2 years $4.5 million.

I think the best bet for a coach is a second time coach who just made the playoffs or had a winning record but didnt win the superbowl in his first gig and is still hungry. Examples would be Dick Vermeil, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, and now Jim Harbaugh who is the one I wanted us to hire.

I could see a scenario where Kyle Shanahan is available in 2026 because the 49ers just barely missed their window and are now going into cap and aging vet hell. Kevin Stefanski too. Sean McDermott. A lot of quality coaches could get dumped because they couldnt beat prime Mahomes, and be very hungry as Mahomes exits his prime and the Chiefs cap gets worse and Jones and Kelce get old.