He is stocking up on Kyle Shanahan’s castoffs.
January 19, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur before the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
The San Francisco 49ers made a surprising move by cutting undrafted wide receiver Isaiah Neyor who had been a standout in training camp. No sooner had the Niners cut him than Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers swooped in to poach him from San Francisco.
This is not the first time LaFleur has poached a player that was just cut by the Niners. Recently, Green Bay picked up running back Israel Abanikanda right after the 49ers let him go. It seems LaFleur is making a habit of collecting players discarded by Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan.
The two have a history extending back to their time together in the Houston Texans organization. They seem to be close friends even though the 49ers and Packers have had a lot of big games over the years, and Shanahan and LaFleur have squared off in the playoffs three times with Shanahan getting the better of him on all three occasions.
The two are both offensive-minded coaches, and LaFleur certainly learned a lot from Shanahan over the years. That’s why it is no surprise the Packers have been right there to pick up these players after they were let go by the Niners.
While the Abanikanda release was not a huge shock, since the Niners had other running back depth options and had a greater need at wide receiver, the Neyor release came as more of a surprise. The undrafted prospect had been turning heads in training camp and made a spectacular catch early on that had many speculating he could make the team.
The fact he did not even make it to the preseason is somewhat shocking especially with all of the injuries and extracurricular issues the team’s receiving corps is facing.
Neyor most likely would not have been a starter if he made the team unless things got really dire ahead of him on the depth chart, but he seemed like he could be the team’s fifth or sixth receiver, potentially, and could have been a high-upside option San Francisco would have wanted to hold onto.
Instead, he is now with LaFleur and the Packers. One hopes he does not turn into a breakout player in Green Bay, otherwise Shanahan and the Niners will have major regrets about letting him go so quickly.
