Report: 49ers interested in longtime WFT personnel exec

49ers

Report: 49ers interested in longtime WFT personnel exec

The Washington Football Team hired former 49ers vice president of player personnel Martin Mayhew to be the team’s general manager this past week, and the 49ers’ front office could be returning the favor.

Washington vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith has hit “the end of the road” with the organization, and his departure is “inevitable,” Sports Illustrated’s Chris Russell reported Friday citing league sources.

Russell reported that the 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers all already have interest in bringing Smith aboard.

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Smith has an established relationship with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, as the two worked together in Washington from 2010-13. Obviously the 49ers have a general manager in place in John Lynch, who just got an extension after the 2019 season, but Russell reported that Washington would not block a “lateral move” for Smith to join the 49ers in the same role.

“Normally teams have to grant permission for a lateral move,” Russell said regarding a potential move to the 49ers (h/t 106.7 The Fan). “I was told last night that Washington would not stand in the way.”

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Washington hired Mayhew as the team’s new GM, and also brought in former Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney as executive vice president of football and player personnel.

Smith also would be connected to Rams head coach Sean McVay and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur from their time working in Washington, so the 49ers likely wouldn’t be the only team reaching out to the 36-year-old.

The 49ers have not announced any changes within the front office structure following Mayhew’s departure, and could slide Smith right into that role and reunite him with Shanahan, if Washington signs off.