Glazer: Not even 49ers’ Super Bowl win will save Harbaugh in San Francisco

By foxsports
Published

The Jim Harbaugh storyline in San Francisco refuses to die down, even after the team won last week and players have publicly endorsed their coach.

According to FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, Harbaugh will not be back with the 49ers next season "even if they hoist the Lombardi." Glazer originally reported the locker room tension prior to the 49ers' Week 1 win over the Cowboys.

49ers CEO Jed York, clearly not pleased with all the conjecture about his coach, responded on Twitter.

On Sunday, an ESPN report surfaced that cracks in the relationship go as far back as 2012, when Harbaugh tried to lure free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning to the 49ers. Manning ultimately chose the Broncos, but it didn’t sit well some players, according to the report. The main issue was what Harbaugh allegedly told then-starter Alex Smith, who wanted answers at the time.

Smith specifically asked Harbaugh about the 49ers' interest in Manning and did not get an answer that matched the facts of the situation, in which Harbaugh flew to North Carolina to meet and work out Manning, the sources said.

As one team source told ESPN, "that was the first big sign to the players that they couldn't trust Jim."

Smith, who was later benched in favor of Colin Kaepernick in 2012 after suffering a concussion, couldn't beat the 49ers on Sunday. The rumors around Harbaugh’s status among players have been making the rounds since the preseason.

In an NFL Network show last Sunday, Deion Sanders said of 49ers players: "They want him out. They're not on the same page."

"Personally I think that's a bunch of crap," Harbaugh responded Monday. "People say what they say."

Analyst Trent Dilfer offered Monday on ESPN Radio that, "I do think it's become almost toxic."

Harbaugh dismissed that, too, saying, "I haven't seen Trent or Deion around much."

"When you're talking about unnamed sources, if somebody's got a good story to tell, they ought to put their name to it," Harbaugh said. "If I had a good story to tell, I'd want to put my name to it, so I don't put a lot of credibility into the unnamed source."