Green Bay executives Brian Gutekunst and Eliot Wolf will be among the finalists to receive second interviews for the 49ers general manager position, a source told CSNBayArea.com on Wednesday morning.
Minnesota assistant general manager George Paton will also be among the finalists, reports the NFL Network, but a second interview with him has yet to be confirmed, a source said.
The 49ers are also expected to bring in another candidate or two for a second interview, a source said.
The second interviews are expected to take place after Sunday, when the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers play in the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers will have a second interview with Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan for the head-coaching position.
The 49ers are expected to make a formal offer to Shanahan to become the team's next head coach, and the NFL Network reported Tuesday night it is "almost certain" he will accept. The 49ers will be allowed to speak with Shanahan next week, regardless of Sunday's outcome, but are not allowed to hire Shanahan until the Falcons' season is over.
The 49ers interviewed nine candidates for the general manager position. Seattle co-director of player personnel Trent Kirchner removed his name from consideration on Tuesday.
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Sources say that Kirchner and coach candidate Tom Cable, Seattle's offensive line coach, were in serious talks with the 49ers on Tuesday about filling the organization's top two positions. But Kirchner and Cable felt like they were being used as leverage to land Shanahan as the head coach.
The other general manager candidates who interviewed with 49ers executives Jed York and Paraag Marathe were Arizona vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough, Seattle co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, Carolina assistant general manager Brandon Beane, Indianapolis vice president of football operations Jimmy Raye III.
Gutekunst, 43, is in his 18th season with the Green Bay and his first as director of player personnel. He and Wolf originally interviewed with the 49ers on Jan. 5.
Gutekunst received a new title prior to last season after Packers general manager Ted Thompson denied permission for him to interview for the director of player personnel job with the Tennessee Titans. He was also denied from joining the Philadelphia Eagles' personnel department in 2015 during Chip Kelly's tenure with the team.
Wolf, 32, is in his first season as Green Bay's director of football operations after receiving a promotion after being denied an opportunity to interview with the Detroit Lions last year.
Wolf is the son Hall of Fame executive Ron Wolf. He has also worked closely through the years with current NFL general managers Reggie McKenzie, John Schneider and John Dorsey.
