Jed York was front and center in the NFL news this week, well because, Jed York chose to be.
He appeared on KNBR, Peter King’s podcast and the NFL Network show Good Morning Football. He hyped up his new regime, talked about the draft process and even extended an olive branch of sorts to Jim Harbaugh.
Besides loving attention and credit, there are reasons why York spoke publicly. Some 49ers columnists and members of The Faithful cringe when when the CEO dabbles with the media. Had he kept Chip Kelly as his head coach and promoted Tom Gamble from within, York probably would’ve stayed in hiding.
But without all the backstabbing and shenanigans inside his building, York now has the confidence to speak freely about his organization — which is what a fan base should want from its owner. It’s another sign of the 49ers actually know what they’re doing. Some reasons:
A) John Lynch’s culture is to be inclusive as possible, meaning the owner of the team won’t be asked to sew his mouth shut and sit in the corner. Lynch has handed many holdovers in this organization and entirely clean slate, even testing York about the leaks during his hiring process. So if York is going to be less involved in the football operation — like signing off on a lucrative Vance McDonald contract — he can occasionally represent the team publicly during the offseason. Lynch has to find ways to keep York involved without really being involved.
B) The last time York spoke solo, he was under fire at a Jan. 2 press conference firing both Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke. I remember thinking after the debacle that York may not speak with the media again for at least a year. He was causing serious harm to the franchise each time he opened his mouth. Fans were not only disgusted by the lack of a vision, they legitimately stopped caring about the product on the field. None of his words were trusted. Forget the 49ers for a second: Jed obviously has some work to do to repair his own image. Part of that is humanizing himself and appearing on a podcast. There are a chunk of 49ers fans who already have their mind made up on York, but there are others willing to give him a second chance if Shanahan/Lynch end up leading this team back to the Super Bowl. Having a villainous owner in sports rarely leads to championships. Propping Jed back up is a part of an internal plan.
C) For the first time in three years, the 49ers are being perceived positively around the NFL. York’s hires of Kyle Shanahan and Lynch obviously have everything to do with that. I called his franchise an utter embarrassment last season, but the tides off the field have certainly shifted. Whether it was Shanahan who crafted the idea of hiring Lynch or not, a near 100 percent consensus around the NFL believes that San Francisco has the right men running its football team. Ultimately, York’s only job is choosing the head coach and general manager. I’m completely fine with him taking a bow for the hires in Year 1 — before any losing starts to happen. As Brian Murphy wrote, the 49ers are purposely trying to win a perception war, and that’s really not the worst thing for a franchise that has fallen off a cliff in the last few seasons.
D) Also a few months ago: We were unsure if any respectable head coach or GM would want to come work for a CEO known for firing people. There was a chance Brian Gutekunst and Anthony Lynn were going to be running the football team. The dollar signs helped, but York is ultimately the one who made Shanahan feel comfortable risking his reputation to come and coach the 49ers.
E) Years of losing after parting ways with Harbaugh has created a perception — fact or fiction — that York and his family care more about money than football. Steve Young channeled that message on KNBR in December. “Their equity value in the team is their A game, it’s what drives them. It’s what drives most of the owners. It’s what matters. It’s what they think about. It’s what they talk about. And the B game, is whether we win some games.” That perception and the stigma surrounding Levi’s Stadium may never truly go away. But it bothers York. By staying silent, it makes him appear more stuffy, more out of touch with the regular Joe’s in his fan base.
Jed York spoke to reporters this week and did not harm the franchise in any way, shape or form. That’s progress in Santa Clara.