Report: Mike Shanahan was close to leaving team

Whether you like him or not there’s something wrong with head coach Mike Shanahan.  It was reported earlier that Shanahan had nearly quit his role atop the Washington Redskins coaching staff after leading the Redskins to their first divisional title since 1999.  The news about Shanahan’s actions has come to light in the midst of the team’s five game losing streak, and rough 45-10 loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Dec 1, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan stands on the sidelines against the New York Giants in the second quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

News is now swirling as to what the next step will be for coach Shanahan.  With just a few weeks remaining in the season, it would not surprise fans if Snyder relieved Shanahan of his duties.  It was stated that the reasoning behind Shanahan’s decision was based upon the relationship between quarterback Robert Griffin III and owner Daniel Snyder.  Snyder has a long history of keeping his nose in the coaching staff ‘s business, but Shanahan hoped to prevent this issue by inserting numerous clauses in his contract restricting Snyder’s power.  Reportedly, Snyder found other ways to bother the former Broncos coach, specifically his superior treatment of RG3.  These dealings drove Shanahan to clear his office prior to the team’s playoff match up with the Seattle Seahawks, but with the injury to Griffin III, Shanny felt obligated to return to the team.

Now, with coach Shanahan having just one year remaining on his contract, and the Redskins being 3-10, I expect Washington to fire Shanahan.  Snyder has frequently fired coaches in the middle of a season, and I’m sure he wants to avoid having Shanahan be a “lamb duck” coach next season.  Do I think this decision is reasonable? Yes.  However, I do not believe the Redskins should fire Shanahan.  The veteran coach has done a fantastic job building a formidable team, and although they did not live up to expectations this season, Washington has the tools to be successful in the future.