The NFL’s latest pass interference debate is back in the spotlight, but Kyle Shanahan doesn’t sound eager to reopen the door.
After a pair of controversial calls in Week 3, discussion picked up again around whether pass interference should be reviewable or whether coaches should be able to challenge those flags. That conversation had already been tested once before, when the league made pass interference reviewable for a single season after the NFC Championship in January 2019.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, the 49ers head coach was asked about the possibility of the NFL bringing that idea back as soon as next year. Shanahan’s answer was straightforward: he wants the call right, but he’s not convinced the solution is worth the mess.
"I thought it was good going into it then because I’m always, regardless of what happens, I just want them to get it right," Shanahan said, per the 49ers' website."You just want it done right, and especially if you can see it on TV. It sucks to have to live with the wrong way when you’re in the heat of battle on the field, which is what the challenge is for refs, challenge for everybody."
The issue has fresh fuel after Sunday’s games involving the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams. Both teams were on the wrong side of controversial pass interference calls, though the Ravens still beat the Dallas Cowboys. For the Rams, the penalty came in a prime-time loss to the Denver Broncos and played a direct role in the outcome.
On Wednesday, Rams coach Sean McVay said the NFL "agreed" Los Angeles should not have been penalized on that play.
Shanahan, though, is not sold on making pass interference challengeable again. He said he welcomed it when the league first tried it, but the experience changed his mind.
"I was excited when they made pass interference challengeable back then," Shanahan added during his comments. "Then, after going through that year, I don’t think I ever want it back because it got too much, and there was too much let them play, too much slow it down and see a little.
It almost probably would be like challenging fouls in the NBA. It just gets a little hard, so probably not a fan of it anymore."
Whether the league revisits the idea may depend on what happens next. Owners could eventually consider extending replay assist to pass interference calls or allowing coaches to challenge them, but a truly costly call in the postseason might be what pushes action.
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