With 49ers potential DC opening, did Fangio just balk at Miami hire?

No, the LA Rams do not have an opening for a new DC yet. But that could be a good thing.

There is a bit of chaos right now over the future of future defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Miami Dolphins believe that they have hired him to join their coaching staff, but now NFL rumors are being reported that Vic Fangio is balking at that role.

Has that ever happened before? Well yes, yes it has. Years ago, the Indianapolis Colts had an agreement with then-New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels to assume their vacant head coaching role. But as he was clearing out his desk, he was talked into staying with the Patriots and balked at the Colts’ HC position.

The difference here is that Fangio is not currently employed.

For what it's worth, Vic Fangio told me late last night, "Nothing has been decided on my end." There is a huge amount of mutual respect between Kyle Shanahan and Fangio, a highly successful Niners DC under Jim Harbaugh. And it appears the 49ers will have an opening soon.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 30, 2023

We know that the LA Rams would be a team that would love to interview Fangio for a DC role if that becomes open. But then there is this confirmation that Vic Fangio is taking the Miami Dolphins DC role, which all but dashed those hopes for Rams fans:

Confirmed
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) January 30, 2023

With the San Francisco 49ers knocked out by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans can now be hired as a head coach, and NFL rumors have him as a lock to land with the Houston Texans. As the Tweet above suggests, Fangio has strong ties to Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the 49ers. Is he balking at assuming the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator role to avail himself of the opportunity to be hired by the 49ers in the same role, a role that is not yet open?

Is that . . . fair game? I mean, the NFL has extensive regulations over tampering with players, and that seems very similar to the situation now being experienced by the Miami Dolphins. Of course, at the moment, we have conflicting reports that will need to be sorted out.

I am thankful that the LA Rams were unable to interview Vic Fangio for a DC role. While it’s deeply disappointing that he will not join the Rams coaching staff, it would be a thousand times worse to believe that the LA Rams had reached an agreement with him to join the staff, only for him to balk and then sign with the San Francisco 49ers.

That would be too painful.

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