Deion Sanders, former 49er and current NFL Network Analyst recently made a comment about how current San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh’s players want him gone from the team. A little early in the season for these kinds of rumors, but there you have it.

Well, after the 49ers came from behind to beat the Eagles on Sunday, Harbaugh responded to some of those rumors from Sanders as well as ESPN’s Trent Dilfer.

Via USA Today:

Former 49ers player Deion Sanders, now an analyst for the NFL Network, cited unnamed sources within the team saying that players and Harbaugh are “not on the same page” and that players “want [Harbaugh] out.”

There was a similar report from the NFL Network before the first week of the season, and another recent from former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer, who lives in the Bay Area, calling the Niners’ locker room “toxic.”

“Personally, I think that’s a bunch of a crap,” and “I haven’t seen Trent or Deion around much,” Harbaugh said, as he lambasted the use of anonymous sources. “If someone has a good story to tell, they want to put their name to it. 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 to the unnamed source.”

Harbaugh went on to talk about his open-door policy and that no players have actually come to him with any issues.

It’s interesting that Sanders is not citing sources for whatever reason, whether legitimate or not. Many have assumed that Michael Crabtree is using him as a mouthpiece to get the story out in the public since the two are close.

Though Harbaugh may have a grating personality at times, the man wins. I think we all know that “unnamed sources within the team” could also be code for “disgruntled Michigan Fans looking for Brady Hoke’s replacement so it makes sense to start rumors sooner rather than later.” Harbaugh went to Michigan and is perhaps a first choice among many after Joke… I mean Hoke… is inevitably fired.

Either way, it doesn’t sound like Harbaugh will be shown the door in San Francisco in the near future. At least Charlie Weis is available for Michigan, though!

[USA Today]

About Reva Friedel

Reva is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and the AP Party. She lives in Orange County and roots for zero California teams.

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