Before the 49ers traded with the Patriots for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo last October — and before Kirk Cousins signed with the Vikings in March — 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan had wanted to bring Cousins to San Francisco by any means necessary.
This is what 49ers General Manager John Lynch said in an interview on ESPN radio in March: "For Kyle, I think the thing I would tell people is we made the trade, but then there were some days that Kyle Shanahan was like in mourning, because I think everybody knows his master plan was to have Kirk Cousins come in eventually."
Shanahan and Cousins will be on opposite sidelines Sunday when the 49ers come to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday to face the Vikings in the season opener.
The history between Shanahan and Cousins goes back to former Gophers offensive coordinator and three-time Super Bowl champion Mike Shanahan, Kyle's father, who drafted Cousins in the fourth round of the 2012 draft when he was the head coach of the Washington Redskins and Kyle was his offensive coordinator.
Mike Shanahan recalled the early days of Cousins' pro career.
"I remember the first day that I got him, you know you're never sure about what type of skills that they have until you actually practice with them on a day-to-day basis," he said. "It didn't take long to figure out that Kirk Cousins was going to be an excellent quarterback in the National Football League. He possesses all the things that you look for in a quarterback. He is a natural leader, and people in Minnesota will find out what level he is at the more time you're around him. But in my opinion, they got the perfect guy."
Perhaps Cousins' most important professional relationship was with the younger Shanahan. Cousins told the Washington Post earlier this year: "Kyle believed in me when it was just potential. There was no production. I hadn't done anything to earn his belief, and he believed in me."
Mike Shanahan remains a big fan of Cousins.